Upping the Ante
by Jaenera Targaryen
Summary: Ahriman sends Devil Summoner Sakura Matou on a mission back to the world she left behind eleven years ago, though within that world only a year has passed since her departure. Arriving on the eve of the Fourth Holy Grail War, Sakura decides that in addition to fulfilling Ahriman's given mission, she might have some fun along the way as well.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Prologue

It was very dark in the Matou basement. Very dark, darker than usual, in fact, actually there was no light whatsoever. It was also very quiet. As in really quiet.

Until now that is.

For about a moment or so.

A quick series of popping sounds, that of air being suddenly and inexplicably displaced, loudly echoed through the basement. They were accompanied by the briefest but utterly-dazzling display of every color in the spectrum of visible light known, along with a million shades of color both possible and impossible in reality, and would have driven most people mad. Keyword being 'most', of course.

And then there was silence. And darkness. Again.

...

…

…

…

…

"It's very dark in here."

"…understatement, much? Still, it shouldn't be this dark, or at least I _think_ I remember there was the littlest bit of light in this place. Then again, I could be wrong, it's been what, ten, twenty years?"

"Technically it's only been one year in this plane."

"Oh yeah."

There was a crackling sound, and then harsh, actinic light lit up the basement, and sending shadows flaring. It came from a ball of zio in one of the new arrivals' hand, said arrival looking around with renewed interest along with her companion.

"Oh wow," the fairy-like creature with red hair and wearing a purple leotard with matching stockings and long gloves commented. "This place looks like a magatsuhi factory."

"…yeah," the Human said with a nod, and looking at the rusting cage hanging from the ceiling on likewise rusting chains. "No wait, now that I think about it, this was a magatsuhi factory. If a very primitive and inefficient one. Well, well, well, maybe this plane isn't so primitive after all. Maybe in a few years, they'll be ready to learn about all the wonders of greater creation!"

"Your sarcasm is very fine." Pixie – the fairy – said.

"I wasn't being sarcastic." Sakura Matou - the Human – said. "Okay with the last sentence I was, but I was perfectly serious with everything that came before it, and partly was with the last bit."

"Hmm…true," Pixie said. "Even if those Messian meddlers poke their noses into this place, so will we, so it comes out as even I guess."

"Nothing to lose just trying," Sakura said with a shrug. "And if even just a single person accepts the message of freedom, then it's all worth it in the end."

The fairy nodded and flew around from beside Sakura to hover in front of her. "So," Pixie began. "What now?"

"Let's get to work, of course." Sakura said. "Can you take care of the light? I need both hands for this."

"Okay."

Sakura's zio went out, but Pixie lit up her own zio, and providing light for the Human to work with. "Let's see," Sakura began, taking a folded piece of paper from inside her coat, and opening it began to read the instructions therein. "Step one, throw the glass ball provided onto flat ground. Okay, simple enough."

Reaching into her coat again, Sakura pulled out a ball of glass with a small sphere of shadow in its middle, and threw it on the ground. The glass broke, the shadow inside spilling out to draw a magic circle on the ground.

"I'm still not sure why we're even going to play by their rules." Pixie began. "I mean, we could have this job done in a night and be back home by morning you know."

"Oh yes," Sakura agreed with a nod, and looking up from the paper. "But as you said, we're _playing_ by their rules."

"Huh?"

"We could finish this in one night, but that's boring." Sakura said with a grin. "I mean, it's not like Ahriman gave us a time limit for this job, so long as we actually do it. So in the meantime, why don't we enjoy playing with this toy Takao-san provided us for this job, and mess around with everyone involved in this 'Fourth Holy Grail War'. They need to lighten up anyway, from what I remember this bunch are all too serious about small and petty things."

"Oh! I see what you mean!" Pixie said happily, flying around her contractor with delight. "What's the point in being given a toy if we don't play around with it?"

"And we get to do a good deed along the way too, teaching all these small and petty people to stop being so stuffy and to actually enjoy life as they should!"

"That too!"

The two dimensional travelers shared a laugh, and then Sakura returned to the printed instructions. "Step two," she read aloud. "Take the box with the catalyst, and place it in the circle. Centered not necessary, just put in circle."

Shrugging, Sakura reached into her coat, pulled out a small box, and tossed it into the circle. "Step three," she read. "Read the following spell out loud."

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the instruction, and then shrugging did as instructed. "Let silver and steel be the essence." She began, ignoring how the shadows flared and then began to glow an angry red with magatsuhi. "Let stone and the Archduke of Contracts be the foundation. Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall. Let the four cardinal gates close. Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate. Let it be declared now: your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword. Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail. Answer, if you would submit to this will and truth. An oath shall be sworn here: I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven, and I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell. Yet you shall serve with your eyes clouded by chaos, for you would be one caged in madness, and I shall wield your chains. From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, Protector of the Holy Balance!"

As burning red light filled the basement, drowning out the actinic light of zio, Pixie looked deadpan at Sakura. "That is quite ironic, considering who we are." She said.

"No kidding," Sakura replied, just as deadpan. "I've been to Hell, it's not so bad. Sure there are assholes and creeps and outright villains there, but there are just as many normal folks there, even great ones too. And even the…'bad guys', are honest about it at least. I've never been to Heaven, and I don't want to. I'm quite fine with being Human, maybe even becoming a demon one day, but I'd rather not get lobotomized into an unfeeling and unthinking angel, seeing as that's what it's going to take to be able to come and go from Heaven on a regular basis."

Pixie nodded sagely and in a somewhat pompous manner in agreement. And then both turned back to the magic circle as an ominous presence filled the room, the burning red light vanishing and allowing the actinic light of zio to resurface…along with a strange, flickering 3D effect coming from the armored figure before them.

Said armored figure roared a muffled roar that vaguely sounded like a name, arms stretching out to either side and head drawn back. Sakura used a pinky to clear out an ear. "Well," she said. "He's enthusiastic at least."

Pixie nodded in agreement. "I can't wait to play with him." She said with a grin. "He seems to be a really interesting toy, now that we actually see him instead of Takao just telling us about him. Oh?"

Berserker – the armored figure/Servant – stared belligerently at them, only for Sakura to return the stare with icy blue eyes. For several moments the contest of wills lasted, and then Berserker subsided with a sullen growl.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Sakura said, taking her peaked cap off and twirling it with a hand while dismissing Berserker with her other hand. The Servant vanished into astral form, and after a few more moments Sakura replaced her peaked cap. "Trying to browbeat me down with a stare? Come on, I've looked at Archangels in the eyes before, what's a failed knight by comparison?"

"Be fair now," Pixie said before giggling at the comparison. "Though I admit it is funny, thinking a toy could actually be a threat."

Sakura nodded sagely, before turning to take her luggage by the handle and pulling it along the rough ground towards the stairs. "Let's go pixie…" she said before cursing. "Damn it, I hate taking stairs with a bag."

"Why not just jump?" Pixie pointed out.

Sakura actually froze, and then nodded quickly. "I can do that." She said, before picking up her luggage…and jumped from the bottom of the staircase up on the landing in one leap. "There we go."

Placing her bag on the ground, Sakura tried to open the doors, only to find them locked. "Figures," she said, before stepping back and simply kicking the door clear off its hinges. "Better,"

Stepping out into the darkened corridor beyond, they looked around, Pixie still providing light with her zio. "Now then, how do we get out of this place?" Sakura muttered.

"We could always just blow holes through the walls until we reach the outside." Pixie offered.

"Hmm…tempting, but not very polite to the people who live here – if people still live here – and we've already vandalized their basement, not to mention trespassing…"

"You do realize this is your house, right?"

"Yeah…it technically is," Sakura said uncomfortably while scratching her head. "But I barely spent a couple of hours – less I think – here before uncle and Miss Ferre picked me up so…"

Sakura trailed off and shrugged, before leading the way down the corridor. "Besides," she said. "Trying to find our way out the normal way is an adventure in its own way, isn't it?"

"A very dull adventure," Pixie commented. "But I see what you mean."

Sakura turned a corner…and promptly dropped prone by instinct moments before the shotgun carried by a haggard-looking man with wavy violet hair erupted loudly, and splattering the wall with shot. "Zio!" Sakura said from the ground, a bolt of lightning striking the man and sending him flying, down the corridor and through a wall, leaving him unconscious on the ground surrounded by rubble.

Sakura and Pixie rushed forward, and regarded the unconscious man with slight interest. "Who's this?" the latter asked.

"Hmm…I think…yeah…this man…is my stepdad, or was supposed to be…except…" Sakura mumbled, and twirling her peaked cap with one hand. "He wasn't around for the past ten or so years of my life, so…"

Sakura shrugged. "Oh well," she said, replacing her peaked cap on her head. "Let's go Pixie.'

"Can't we just stay here?" Pixie asked, flying over to sit on Sakura's shoulder. "It's pretty big, and it looks comfortable enough. We could even renovate that magatsuhi factory underground, and turn it into the real thing."

"Not a big fan of magatsuhi factories, for all that I don't cause trouble with the ones who run them…" Sakura muttered before smiling at Pixie. "Besides, this place is kind of obvious, isn't it? I mean, we're just playing around, but we shouldn't make it too easy for the other players, right?"

Pixie nodded. "Yup!" she said. "We're already giving them a big handicap as it is, so anything more is more than pushing it."

"Exactly!"

It took them a few more minutes, but eventually Pixie and Sakura were standing out on the street in front of the Matou property (after having kicked the gates down and leaving them a battered chunk of iron lying on the ground). "Okay," Pixie said, hovering in front of Sakura. "Now what?"

"First, we need to find a place for the night."

"And then?"

Sakura grinned. "Let's go have some fun!" she said, and Pixie gushed.

"YAY!"

* * *

A/N

First, I suppose you guys need an explanation: it's almost Christmas, and there are drinking parties almost every night after work. And mixing up alcohol with lack of sleep, and hard days at work, makes for strange thinking. So much so in fact, that I'm thinking I've been going about about this the wrong way.

Lightening up the Butcher and the Mushroom's masterpieces is the usual way to go, or generally just going with the flow. Then I suddenly thought, what if actually lightening them up isn't really working out, and instead we ought to darken things that it becomes like second to fourth edition 40k, i.e. so dark that you can't take it seriously and it all becomes one big joke?

And the result? _This._ Take an already dark setting at one of its darkest, and add an even darker setting, and see how far it goes.

Still, I'll admit this isn't everyone's cup of tea, and I've already admitted it's the product of the twin hazes of exhaustion and alcohol, so I won't hold it against you if you won't like it. I'm enjoying it though, and am already laughing at how the protagonists (and their background) are already joking around with the setting.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Chapter 1

The wooden door closed with a solid thump, much to Sakura's approval, before she clicked the lock closed and slid the deadbolts home. The mechanisms themselves were of solid make, both at first glance and from the heavy feel as she turned them.

"So how is it?" Sakura called further into the apartment, after Pixie who'd flown ahead to check it out.

"Hang on, I'm looking it over!" Pixie shouted back.

Sakura shrugged, and then opening a narrow door near the entrance, took her peaked cap off her head and hung it on a hook at the back of the door. Whistling, she did the same for her cloak, and smoothing it out took one of the plastic hangers from inside the cabinet and slid it into her cloak. Smoothing the cloak once more, she hung it in the cabinet, and closing the door stepped further into the rental apartment, unbuttoning her jacket as she went.

"Well," Pixie began, flying from the bedroom into the living room to sit on the back of the couch. "It's clean and well-lit, and I've no complaints about the furniture. But, it's boring."

"Boring?" Sakura echoed, pulling off her jacket.

Pixie nodded. "It's impersonal and faceless." She said. "Then again, this is a rental apartment for tourists and backpackers and other people who'd be staying in town for a while before moving on, and need someplace cheaper than a hotel, so I probably should not judge."

"I see." Sakura said, taking a look around the living room. There was a couch and a couple of armchairs around a coffee table, smaller tables between corners with simple but clean and wholesome lamps on top. A wooden divider split off the living room from the kitchen cum dining room, with three simple but solid-looking wooden chairs around a similar table visible from where Sakura was standing.

Turning back to her 'Best Friend Forever' (BFF), Sakura blinked and turned her head to find the fairy flying back and forth poking at the armchairs. "Comfy enough, I suppose." She said.

"Enough?"

Pixie shrugged. "No place like home, after all." She said, and Sakura chuckled.

"No argument there." She said, heading into the bedroom, Pixie trailing after her.

The bedroom had a bed for two, sitting on a dark brown carpet, with two bedside tables with lamps on them. There was a larger table near the window, to the left from Sakura's position near the bedroom door, with a pair of chairs similar to those in the dining room. Opposite from the windows and on the other side of the bed was a large wooden cabinet.

Tossing her jacket on the bed, Sakura plopped down on the bed, and pushed down a few times. "Not hard, but not too soft either." She said with approval, before doing the same for the pillows. "Alright then, this place doesn't seem so bad."

Whistling, Sakura pulled off her trench boots, Pixie taking them to put them next to the wall. Meanwhile Sakura opened her luggage, an Atlus Inventory X, the latest in a series of solid and reliable travel bags designed and produced by Atlus Company. This one though had been modified by Sakura's associates, giving it virtually limited space on the inside, and making it absolutely burglar-proof.

Pulling out her slippers, Sakura put them on and stood up, placing her luggage on the bed before continuing to unpack. Clothes first, red shirts and black mini-skirts coming out and then carried off to be stacked neatly in the cabinet. Black thigh-highs followed, along with a spare set of trench boots, and spare cloaks and jackets.

There were pyjamas, though she left those on the bed, with a spare set heading into the cabinet.

A series of boxed but unassembled drones from Mitsubishi but again modified by Sakura's associates were stacked up along a wall, while Pixie carried personal items – shampoo, soap, conditioner, toothpaste and toothbrush, etc. – to the toilet. Additional stuff went into the cabinet and bedside drawers, and a laptop found its resting place on the window table before the empty luggage was placed out of the way in a corner.

"Now what?" Pixie asked.

"Hungry?"

"I want pizza!"

"And ice cream?"

"Of course! Chocolate, please!"

Sakura laughed before heading back into the living room, and placed a call downstairs. "Hello," she began as one of the staff answered her call. "Yes, this is Matou from Room 5-12. Can I get a recommendation for a pizza delivery? Yes…yes…five-two-six…nine-one-nine-eight…okay…okay, thanks."

Briefly replacing the phone back on the receiver, Sakura then picked it up again before pressing nine for several moments to place an external call. "Yes, hello, I'd like to make a delivery." She said. "Sakura Matou…Room 5-12 of Kashima Residences, at Number 10 Ichihara Street…yes, I see, that's good to hear…okay…okay, what are your sizes…cheese and garlic, fourteen inches…hot wings…five, no eight pieces…regular Coke please…yes, yes…okay…thanks!"

Placing the phone back into its cradle, Sakura returned to the dining room. "Is cheese and garlic good?" she asked.

"Did you ask for ice cream?" Pixie asked, sitting up from where she'd been lying on a pillow.

"There's an ice cream parlor downstairs, twenty-fours open, remember? We saw it when we entered the building."

"Oh right," Pixie conceded with an embarrassed laugh. "How long?"

Sakura shrugged before heading to the cabinet. "Twenty minutes, they said." Sakura replied, pulling out fresh underwear and closing the cabinet doors. "Enough time for a shower, don't you agree?"

* * *

"Okay…" Sakura began, lounging on the couch and lazily eating pizza with one hand, dressed only in one of her shirts and a pair of panties. "Objectives, we have two. One, find out if an avatar of Ahriman is for one reason or another trapped in the so-called Holy Grail of this city."

"What do we do if it is?" Pixie asked, sitting on the table next to a plate on which lay chicken wings which the fairy was tearing at.

"Ahriman didn't say," Sakura replied. "But if it is, then obviously we free it. If it's not…then we'll see, whatever it is in the end."

Pixie nodded in agreement. "And the second objective?" she asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Sakura asked with a grin. "Let's have some fun!"

"Oh yeah!" Pixie said with a grin, and the two shared a laugh.

"Okay," Sakura said as the laughter died down. "Objectives aside, priorities! First, we need to get to a bank, and open an account to deposit all the cash we brought with us, there not being a cult chapter here to support us as we could normally count on. Most businesses probably won't care much if we pay cash up front, and this place certainly didn't seem to mind the cash down payment, but I'd prefer not to get caught in any possible complications caused by constantly paying in cash."

"Would it really be that troublesome?" Pixie asked.

"Not really, no," Sakura admitted. "But it'll be annoying, and I have better things to do in my spare time than convincing the law to go sniff around someplace else."

"True." Pixie admitted with a shrug.

"Next priority," Sakura said. "Get the drones up in the air, that way we can tell if there's anything happening around the city that needs our touch."

"Sounds good."

"Third priority," Sakura continued before grinning. "Find my younger sister, and mess with her."

Pixie snickered. "Isn't she your older sister though?" she asked.

Sakura snickered. "Yeah, she was born first," she said, still snickering. "But she's _seven._ I'm **_nineteen_** …"

Sakura trailed off, snickering for several moments with Pixie. "That's going to make her head whirl." Pixie finally managed to say. "What about your parents?"

"The old man and his wife…hmm, fourth priority then. Come to think of it…I need to call Takao-san, I need to arrange a present, just in case fulfilling objective number one breaks the Grail, which it likely might. If so, the old man needs to be compensated."

"Why does your dad need compensation if we break the Grail?" Pixie asked in confusion.

"Because his family, well, ancestors helped build it, and it is kind of their legacy." Sakura said. "It's a small thing, but it's still theirs. If we break it, we should pay for it."

"A matter of principle?" Pixie asked curiously.

"Not really," Sakura said. "More like fair is fair or something like it. After all, it's not like if someone broke one of my things I wouldn't ask for payment or compensation in one form or another. You get the idea."

"I do." Pixie said with a nod. "Yeah, I get the idea. So, what kind of gift do you have in mind?"

"Hmm," Sakura hummed, before finishing the slice of pizza she was holding and downing it with Coke. "I don't know yet. I'll have to think on it some more. No need to rush."

"I think so too. Next priority?"

"…there's a chance, no matter how small, that some of the small and petty people involved in this war would be chafing at how…narrow, and restricting their oh so great and noble calling is." Sakura said after several moments. "If that's the case, we should find them, and see what we can do to help."

"A rotten apple, eh?" Pixie asked with a smile.

"I prefer to call them visionaries," Sakura said with exaggerated pomposity. "Seeing as they'll be leading their people to a new golden age of peace and progress."

Pixie cackled at that. "Peace and progress, huh?" she asked.

"Close enough," Sakura said with a laugh. "Freedom more like, and the beginning at least, of a desire to take action against the injustices of a rotten and unworthy system that needs to be torn down and be born anew, like a phoenix from the ashes."

"Poetic," Pixie said. "Well, no matter what, it's going to be a fun time."

Sakura snorted with amusement, and bit into a slice of pizza. "Yes," she said. "I think so too."

* * *

"I hate banks."

"Why do you think I didn't go in?"

"Because you'd cause a scene?"

"There's that too." Pixie said with a grin, and Sakura rolled her eyes while Pixie settled down on her shoulder, the fairy having lazed on a tree branch while her friend was busy in the bank.

"Anything interesting happen while I was busy inside?" Sakura asked.

"A cat thought I'd make a good snack."

"Did you kill it?"

"No, I just gave it a bit of an electric shock." Pixie said primly. "It thought better of the idea and stalked off. Apart from that, no nothing special. Just lounging around, though the air could be fresher."

"Well, I can't blame you for that, you did grow up in the Pixie Forest, after all."

Pixie nodded, sitting relaxedly on Sakura's shoulder while making their way down Fuyuki's streets. At first glance it would seem unnecessarily attention-catching, but typically the crowd mentality of people meant that the vast majority just took Sakura and Pixie as simply another passerby and gave them no more attention than they did other passersby. A few noticed Pixie, but again, most of those just dismissed her as just another one of the strange accessories favored by the young these days, and those that did not didn't want to cause a scene, and simply let it go.

"Now what?" Pixie asked.

"Go back to the apartment?" Sakura asked back. "We've got to get those birds in the air, and while all we have to do is assemble them, at this rate it'll be dinner time before we're finished."

"Yeah well, if you'd woken up earlier this morning, that wouldn't be a problem. Same for the bank; the earlier you come, the shorter the lines."

"Hey, you slept in too!" Sakura shot back. "And besides, it was _way_ past midnight when we arrived in this city, to say nothing of going to sleep."

Pixie fumbled for a bit, and then sighed. "Fair enough, I suppose." She said. "Let's get some ice cream along the way though. If nothing else, something cold and sweet should help calm us down."

"I…that's a good point."

"Alright then!"

* * *

Saber blinked and looked around a few times.

"What's wrong?" the albino woman walking with her looking curiously at the blonde Servant.

"No," Saber said after a moment. "It's nothing. Something…elsewhere…elusive."

Irisviel von Einzbern raised her eyebrows at that, and then her eyes narrowed. "Could it be," she began. "You sensed a Servant?"

Saber was silent for a few moments, and then nodded slowly. "That could be so." She admitted. "But if so, then it didn't seem to have noticed us, or even known that we were here. Certainly, I cannot sense them now, or indeed, if we are being followed or spied upon."

"I see." Irisviel said, and after a moment brightened up. "Well, maybe they were just looking around, like we are? I mean, I know magi are really serious and focused on their lives' work, but, who's to say there aren't exceptions?"

"I defer to your expertise in this." Saber said with a smile, and Irisviel beamed at her.

"Alright then," she said. "What do we do now?"

"That's completely up to you." Saber said. "You wished to see the city, and here we are. No matter what you choose to do, Irisviel, I will accompany you."

"Really, Saber…!" Irisviel pouted. "You should loosen up you know, and enjoy yourself some more! Especially since we have the entire afternoon to enjoy town!"

Saber just smiled at the homunculus. "So long as you are happy, then I am happy." She said. "Perhaps you'd like to have your lunch now, it is past noon after all."

"Oh good!" Irisviel gushed, clapping her hands like a child. "I've always wanted to try Japanese sushi! But, it's supposed to be really expensive though, and while it's not like I can't afford it, I wonder what Kiri would say if he finds out I spent so much on a single meal…"

Saber smiled indulgently at Irisviel, who continued to worry about whether or not to indulge in an expensive Japanese lunch before coming to a decision. "Let's go, Saber!" Irisviel said, already dashing away. "Let's go look for a sushi restaurant to have lunch at!"

"Yes, Irisviel."

* * *

Tokiomi Tohsaka silently brooded as he walked away the Matou mansion, this short visit at the request of the current Matou head stoking negative sentiments from early in the previous year, and had already begun to simmer down. And then this visit, and for reasons all too reminiscent of the root of those negative sentiments.

Apparently, someone had broken into the Matou mansion during the previous night, and had escaped despite Byakuya's – unstated but without a doubt feeble – attempt at stopping them. The man had apparently been knocked unconscious in the process, and had also been seriously injured, evidence of which Tokiomi had seen with his own eyes, with the man's pained and clumsy movements.

" _But then again_ ," Tokiomi thought darkly. " _What did I expect? If that pathetic excuse for a magus had been more adept, then Kariya's abandonment of his family would not have been such an issue, and I wouldn't have had to give Sakura to their family._ "

The thought of his daughter brought a pang to Tokiomi's heart, and a flare of anger. Sakura was supposed to be safe. Sakura was supposed to receive everything Tokiomi was duty-bound not to give her, despite deserving them. Sakura was supposed to become the heir to a great and noble lineage, and achieve a name for herself when she otherwise she could not.

All that had been for nothing.

If not for the Matou having apparently done everything it could, to the point that the previous head, Zouken Matou had died facing his assailant, Tokiomi would have had them expelled from his territory, for failing to not just fulfill their promises with regard to his daughter, but also for letting her be kidnapped. As it was, the death of the last true magus the Matou could boast to have and their subsequent ruination, was sufficient punishment.

 _Let them look upon us in envy, remembering that they were once our peers and allies, and know that their ruination is their own fault, for failing to protect and cherish that which was of us and was given to them in trust – a trust they failed to uphold!_

And now apparently someone else had broken into the Matou mansion, and had even managed to breach their workshop before Byakuya had noticed them, and then escaped no doubt having stolen a portion of what legacy the Matou were now unfit and incapable of inheriting. " _No doubt,_ " Tokiomi thought. " _The damage to the defenses inflicted by last year's assailant were poorly repaired, if at all, with Zouken dead and Byakuya a poor excuse for family head and magus alike. Too inviting to pass up, no doubt, to an intrepid magus looking to salvage anything useful from the ruins of a once great and noble lineage._ "

Not that Byakuya had allowed Tokiomi to actually enter the workshop, instead telling him to find what evidence he needed to investigate the matter – dislike the task Tokiomi might considering Matou's failure but duty was duty, be it as magus, father, or as the Second Owner – from the intruder's trail through the house _outside_ the workshop. Truth be told, Tokiomi could easily have pressed the matter, and Byakuya clearly knew it, from the sheer terror he'd shown when Tokiomi had expressed a desire to enter the workshop himself.

But he hadn't.

For one thing, though Matou had fallen, and much of his respect for them had gone for their failure, they had once been allies and peers, so while pitiful in context, he still respected them to an extent. And for another thing, pathetic excuse he might be, Byakuya was still a magus. And with Zouken dead and Sakura…gone, he was now the Matou magus. And together with the first reason…out of…professional, respect, no matter how hollow it might be, Tokiomi had not pressed the matter.

And…

…on a selfish note…

…to see what should have been Sakura's…

Tokiomi closed his eyes, and took a deep breath as left the Matou property, to stand on the sidewalk, waiting for his chauffeur to bring the car around. " _Kirei-kun,_ " he thought, reaching through his telepathic link with his apprentice.

" _What is your bidding, my master?_ " Kirei Kotomine responded in kind.

" _Inform Assassin,_ " Tokiomi commanded. " _And your father, to be watchful for a Master with the following description: a woman apparently in her thirties, wearing a red cloak over a black, double button-down jacket and mini-skirt, with matching thigh-high socks and trench boots. The woman had long dark hair, about shoulder-length, and sported a peaked cap in red with gold trim. Such is the description of the previous night's intruder in the Matou mansion, and there is the possibility that she is a Master taking advantage of an opportunity to acquire secrets and mysteries from a fallen family._ "

" _I hear and obey, my master. And I too shall be watchful for this individual."_

Tokiomi nodded, and cut the link. For several moments he just stood there, outside the gaping hole in the wall where once the Matou property's gates stood. And then turning, he stared at the mansion, and sighing, the man's eyes and face softened in a way that would have shocked those who knew him had they seen it.

 _I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wish I could have chosen better. I wish I could have protected you better. I'm so sorry, Sakura. Daddy's so sorry._

* * *

"Thank you for your patronage!" the delivery girl said cheerfully, and tipping her hat at Sakura.

"You're welcome!" Sakura returned the girl's gratitude with a smile of her own, and politely closed the door. The moment it was closed though…

"Note to self," she said loudly, heading back to the bedroom. "Go to grocery, and buy some fresh stuff. This is very unhealthy to say the least, and it's a pain on the wallet."

Pixie stared at Sakura as though she'd gone mad. "Sakura," she began. "I know much our budget is, and the idea that you, someone the Demon Summoning Program would rank at level seventy-one with the stats to match, would be bothered by something like an unhealthy diet, is a very bad joke."

Sakura gave her little friend a dirty look. "Okay," she said, while beginning to lay out their orders on the window table. "Point taken about our budget. But, about my health in general, and speaking of the Demon Summoning Program, if my health goes south, it'd manifest as penalties on my stats, and be proven by my weakened abilities."

"It's not like you eat fast food on a regular basis anyway." Pixie grumbled, taking a shrimp roll and beginning to chomp it down.

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose, and with a sigh decided to let it go. Taking and breaking apart a pair of chopsticks, she took her box of pork fried rice with shrimp dumpling toppings, and sitting back on a chair began eating her dinner.

After a few bites, Sakura reached forward, and tapped a key on her laptop's keyboard. The screen flashed, showing on several rectangular icons the drones' images and other sensor readings across the city.

Sakura and Pixie had spent most of the afternoon and much of the evening assembling and testing the drones, followed by the control and communication systems, before sending them out into the night. While most of the drones' systems and hardware were normal and purely technological in nature, the sensor suites and part of the drones' protections incorporated specialized magical components that allowed them to see through or at least detect the presence of magical barriers, and to home in on hotspots of supernatural activity among other features that wouldn't be found on the market model.

Truth be told, magic and the supernatural were all but an open secret by now, only the governments of the world and even people in general just preferred not to really address the situation. At least, in the world where Sakura grew up, that is. Here, in her home plane, supernatural society made a point of principle keeping separate and secret from the mundane world.

How long that would continue to last, though…

"Hmm?" Sakura blinked, before tapping at another key and focusing on a single drone.

"What's wrong?" Pixie asked.

"Drone Number Five's picked up a magical signature." Sakura answered. "It's homing in on the signature, entering visual range in…four minutes, and forty seconds."

"Servant, you think?"

"Hmm…"

Sakura ate in silence, but at the three minutes and eight seconds mark, the drone picked up another magical signature. "I really think those are Servants." Pixie observed.

"If they are," Sakura said, speeding up her pace. "Looks to me like the first battle of the war is about to start."

"Going to jump in?" Pixie asked with a grin.

Sakura scoffed but didn't quite deny it either. "Maybe," she admitted. "At the very least, I'd like to get mobile, the better to take advantage of any situation we could and would want to take advantage of. Besides, we'll have to introduce ourselves sooner or later anyway."

Pixie hummed and nodded, she and Sakura quickly chomping down their dinner as the drone finally entered visual range and maintained a safe distance between itself and the targets. They were a blonde woman in a white winter's coat and hat, along with another blonde woman in a dark-colored business ensemble.

"Which is the Servant do you think?" Pixie asked, biting down on a sweet bun.

"Too far for a detailed reading…" Sakura muttered, tapping on the screen and shaking her head before sitting back and continuing to eat. "If I had to say…I'd say the lady in the suit."

"What makes you say that?"

"Instinct," Sakura replied. "That, and the fact that _if_ the lady in the suit was the Master, and they could afford dressing their Servant in such…luxury, as the other lady is wearing, then they'd dress similarly themselves. Magi are a proud and vain bunch."

"I see." Pixie said. "But, what if we're meant to think that way, that is, the Master knows that and is trying to take advantage of the fact?"

"Hmm…" Sakura hummed. "That's…a good point…and it could also be the Servant naturally appears like that, a Caster maybe…"

Sakura trailed off, silently finishing her meal and enjoying the black gelatin sweet drink that came with her order. She watched as the Master and Servant approached the waterfront, an area clogged with warehouses and factories, and Sakura narrowed her eyes. "This smells of an ambush." She muttered.

"I think so too." Pixie said. "Assassin maybe?"

Sakura didn't say anything, instead manipulating the controls and ordering another drone to the area, though it'd take several more minutes for the second drone to arrive. As the first drone widened its area of operations, Sakura noticed something.

"Someone's hiding…over…there…"

Manipulating the controls, Sakura raised an eyebrow as the drone identified the presence of a tall, dourly-dressed blonde man, standing next to a silvery blob on top of a tall building next to a large, relatively-clear area. Said man was clearly waiting for the women to arrive, and Sakura snorted in understanding.

"I see." He said. "So that's how it is."

"Huh?" Pixie said.

"He – that man on the roof – must have drawn those women there for a fight, probably by leaking his Servant's aura to draw them in." Sakura explained. "And it's a good location for a fight too, this late and in that area, few if any people would be present, having gone home for the night and all that."

"I see." Pixie said. "But, what's that silver blob thing?"

"Mercury, maybe…" Sakura muttered. "A magic device of some sort…I don't know."

Drinking her sweet drink, Sakura watched along with Pixie as the women entered the chosen battlefield, and a tall and rugged man appeared out of nowhere. "Oh wow," Sakura said, magnifying the image. "He's not bad looking at all, if somehow looking rather…pouty."

"Against your exes, what do you think?" Pixie asked with a grin.

"Ha, ha, very funny, not going to answer that."

Pixie shrugged and turned back to the screen. The pre-fight talks were quickly concluded, and the battle was joined. "Saber…" Pixie muttered. "Lancer…and an invisible sword…interesting…hmm?"

Pixie turned to follow as Sakura quickly walked to the toilet, and then shrugging returned to the screen. Sakura emerged about a minute later, but then to Pixie's surprise, didn't return to the laptop.

Instead, she approached the cabinet, and opening it took out the same jacket she was wearing last night. Slipping it on and buttoning it up, Sakura swept from the bedroom to the entrance, where she took out her cloak and hat.

Returning to the bedroom, she draped the cloak on the back of her chair, and placed the hat on the table. Pixie had already retrieved Sakura's boots and several utilities to be worn at her belt, earning her a nod, and continued to watch the fight between Saber and Lancer while putting Sakura put said boots and utilities on.

"…did you see that?"

"Looks to me like Lancer's spear – well that one at least – can cut through magic armor, like the one Saber uses. Interesting…so her armor isn't…completely, there, it's…magically-generated…but so is she…what are the limits of that spear's power though…curious…"

"We're heading out?" Pixie asked.

"Yeah," Sakura said, issuing new commands to the drones, and then checking on the map where the fight was taking place. "There…"

Getting up, Sakura pulled her cloak over herself, and fastened the right collar over the left. And then placing her peaked cap on the head she nodded at Pixie. "Shall we go?" she asked.

"Yes!"

* * *

A/N

For those of you who couldn't get the reference, Sakura's luggage is literally the embodiment of a PC's inventory, which is (usually) unlimited in space. There are other references/shout-outs, though I think I'll leave those for the readers to find.

Well, that's a wrap, next chapter the Golden NEET and Broskander show up and the battlefield turns to chaos (no pun intended).


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Chapter 2

Thunder boomed as lightning struck the ground between Lancer and Saber, the two Servants leaping back into guarded stances, the latter positioned protectively in front of Irisviel. And then with a final boom, the lightning died as a chariot slammed heavily into the ground, pulled by a pair of massive bulls.

"The two of you! Lower your weapons!" a towering and heavily-muscled man in Greek armor and a cloak roared from the chariot, bared arms raised into the air. "The king has arrived!"

Saber, Lancer, and Irisviel could only gape at the redheaded Servant, clearly the Rider given his Noble Phantasm, though what he would say next would cause them to gape even more. "I am Iskander, the King of Conquerors!" Rider roared with pride, uncaring of the (seeming) elemental mistake of revealing his true identity to so many opponents all at once. "I am the Rider of this Fourth Holy Grail War!"

"What are you doing, Rider!" an underwhelming boy shouted in horror, clearly Rider's – unnoticed until now given the sheer presence (and nerve) of the Servant – Master, all the while tugging at the giant Servant for his attention. "Shouting your name so loudly like…!"

A flick of a finger to his forehead sent the boy flying to the chariot's floor, and then Rider turned back to his audience. "Fate has brought us all together to fight for the Grail," Rider grandly continued. "But allow me to ask of you: what say you forfeit the Grail to me, and join my army? Should you choose to do so, then I shall consider you as trusted friends and allies, and together share the blessing of the Grail!"

For a long moment, utter silence met the King of Conquerors words, and then both Lancer and Saber angrily began talking at once, denouncing Rider as mad and his offer an insult to their pride. "Furthermore," Saber coldly said, stepping into her stance much to the alarm of Rider's Master. "By right I am the King of Britain. No matter how worthy the offer, I cannot in good conscience lower myself to become the retainer of another."

"Well now," Rider said with an air of wonder. "This is interesting. You're the King of Britain? Who could have expected the famous King Arthur to be a pretty young girl?"

Saber smirked with amusement. "Would you care then, to test this pretty young girl's resolve, King of Conquerors?" she challenged, and causing Rider's expression to fall.

"I'm willing to negotiate…" he began.

"Refused!" Saber and Lancer said at once, and Rider sighed as his master whimpered in fear at the two clearly belligerent Servants.

"I hate it when negotiations fail." He said, while scratching his head. And then he blinked, as loud and mocking laughter echoed across the battlefield. Rider's Master stiffened at the sound, and even broke out into a cold sweat at what followed. Clearly, the boy knew that voice.

"I must admit," Lancer's Master began, still standing in the shadows he'd addressed Lancer from earlier during his battle with Saber. "I wondered at who'd have the audacity to steal my catalyst, but to think it was actually you, Waver Velvet."

Waver whimpered, his face falling and hands rising to clutch at his head in sheer terror. "I have to say," Lancer's Master continued. "Some madness must have afflicted you, to actually steal my catalyst. But no matter, for all that matters is that you are foolish enough to actually enter the Holy Grail War itself. Should I educate you then, in the fear and terror that comes with a battle to the death between magi?"

Waver shut his eyes, all but crying as his strength failed him and he fell to his knees…and then a heavy but reassuring hand landed gently on his back. Opening his eyes, Waver turned his eyes to meet Rider's own, the Servant smiling reassuringly at him, giving the appearance of a lion standing protectively beside a frightened cub.

And then Rider's face darkened, and he glared up into the night. "So," he grandly began with a note in his voice that instantly put Lancer and Saber even further on their guard, both immediately recognizing the tone of an angered king. "You claim that you would have been my Master? Don't make me laugh! Only those brave enough to ride by my side could ever be my Master! A coward like you with no courage to even show your face would never be worthy of summoning me!"

Lancer slightly lowered his face at that, and a slight sound of disgust echoed through the air from Lancer's Master. But before he could offer a rejoinder, a young woman's voice loudly cut in.

"That's absolutely right!"

* * *

Lord Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi half-turned in alarm at the voice from behind him, even more so as a red and black figure landed hard across the rooftop behind him. And then his vision distorted, as a red and black blur sped towards him.

Whoever she was, she was fast, too fast for him to give a command to his prized mystic code. Unfortunately for her, Volumen Hydragyrum possessed an auto-defense function, the mercury already flowing as fast as the girl to form a dense physical barrier between Kayneth and his assailant.

At least, it should have.

Kayneth's eyes widened in shock as the young woman _swept_ Volumen Hydragyrum aside with a sweep of her left arm, mercury splashing away in streams and drops, and then stepping forward entered his guard. Kayneth's eyes then bulged as a palm landed hard on his chest, enough to knock the wind out of him and cracking his breastbone, but that was nothing compared to the shock as he felt his magic circuits _shut down_ at the woman's blow.

Between the shock and the pain, Kayneth didn't register being thrown off the roof, or the sensation of freefall as he arced up and then down to the ground. "My lord!" Lancer shouted, jumping up to catch Kayneth…but the woman was already moving.

"DYNAMIC…" she shouted as she jumped into the air, flipping over several times, and then planted both feet into Kayneth's torso as Lancer caught him. "ENTRY!"

Blood erupted from Kayneth's mouth at the blow, and even Lancer's eyes widened in shock at the force of the blow. Controlling their landing, Lancer skidded back across the battlefield with Kayneth held gasping and gurgling in his arms, and Lancer glared at the woman as she landed on the opposite side of the battlefield with the sound of breaking ground, having used him and Kayneth as a platform to jump back and flip through the air back to the ground.

"You, boy!" the woman shouted, flamboyantly flourishing her cloak and planting her left hand on a hip while pointing her right hand at Waver.

Waver flinched, and then shakily responded at Rider's prodding. "Y-yes?" he stammered out.

The woman grinned, and to Waver's shock and surprise, her right hand switched from pointing to thumbing him up. "I don't know the details," she began. "But from the sound of things, I'm thinking it's not the first time that noisy bastard's put you down. If so, then keep at it! Fight the power!"

Waver gaped, and with a laugh Rider patted him on the back and staggered him. "Well said!" Rider boomed. "And an impressive entrance indeed, showing off your skills in acrobatics all the while humbling Lancer's Master in the process! But, won't you share us your name and class?"

The woman laughed, and taking her peaked cap off bowed respectfully at Rider. "I'm honored to have impressed Alexander – or Iskander, as you say – the Great himself!" she said, before rising and beginning to pace theatrically. "But, I am sorry to have to say you are wrong, for I am no Servant."

Rider's eyes widened in surprise, Irisviel and Saber joining Waver in gasps of shock at her words. And then Rider's smile split his face, and a booming laugh erupted from his mouth. "Then I'm honored to meet such a powerful Master." He said. "But, even if you are no Servant, no, indeed because you are _not_ a Servant, there should be nothing against you introducing yourself, is there?"

"Agreed!" the woman said, grinning and clearly enjoying these moments of theater. "So far we have King Arthur, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, and Alex- _Iskander_ the Great! But while I admit I am nothing compared to figures such as you, I too have pride in my name and achievements! I am the Devil Summoner Extraordinaire, Sakura Matou!"

* * *

"I see," Kiritsugu Emiya said, watching the battle and subsequent interruptions through his sniper rifle's scope from a rooftop a good distance away. "So that's the Matou Master. Though, from the way she dresses I'd think she was from Tohsaka."

"There was no mention of a Sakura Matou that fits her description in the Matou Clan's dossier, though." Maiya Hisau remarked, also watching through a sniper rifle's scope.

"Yes," Kiritsugu said thoughtfully. "Apart from that girl who disappeared last year…"

"Could there be a connection? As you say, she dresses like a Tohsaka, and her name…"

"But that would mean that she would have aged over ten years in just a year." Kiritsugu countered. "With magic not much is impossible, but this scenario is so improbable that it might as well be."

"Coincidence?"

Kiritsugu didn't reply. Instead, he just kept watching through his scope, thoughts running through his head as the Matou Master spoke to his wife, and then as a new Servant appeared. " _Masters and Servants alike are so theatrical._ " He thought. " _They're treating this not as a war as it really is, but as some sort of game or opportunity to show off. Though, I shouldn't be complaining. It certainly makes things easier for me, if they keep taking things this lightly._ "

"What should we do, Kiritsugu?" Maiya asked.

"For now," Kiritsugu replied. "We'll keep on watching, especially that Matou Master. I'd say we'll have to revise our assessments of the strongest Masters based on their personal merits. If Matou could defeat Lord El-Melloi so easily, then he's clearly not the strongest Master anymore."

"That said," Maiya remarked. "Matou had the advantage of surprise. Without that, things might have gone differently…could they?"

Kiritsugu didn't reply for another couple of moments. "Maybe…" he admitted, focusing on the situation on the ground as the battle resumed. And as it progressed, his eyes widened and then narrowed in quick succession. "Still think otherwise?"

"No." Maiya said, her voice betraying her shock at what they were watching. "She's definitely the strongest Master now."

"Yes," Kiritsugu agreed. "Just from what we're seeing, she's on a whole different league to Lord El-Melloi or Tohsaka."

"Should we…"

"No," Kiritsugu said. "Not yet, let's keep watching this some more. On one hand, Archer could likely deal with her for us, and we won't have to give our presence away just yet. And on the other hand, if she somehow manages to beat Archer for us – even if it's probably just a matter of forcing him to retreat – it's a chance to see what Archer's capable of."

"And then?"

Kiritsugu focused his sight on Sakura. "I'll take care of it." He said.

"Understood."

And behind them, legs waving in the air as she sat unnoticed on a metal railing, Pixie just watched with mild amusement.

* * *

As Kiritsugu and Maiya watched and judged and began to plot in the distance, the gathered Masters and Servants continued as they were. "Matou?" Irisviel echoed while drawing back in shock.

"What?" Sakura asked, turning towards her. "Is it so surprising that…we, are involved in this as well? I mean, the three of our families – Matou, Einzbern, and Tohsaka – founded this ritual, and all of us have guaranteed spots in it, don't we?"

"No, that's…"

Irisviel broke off and heads turned as they felt a new presence making itself felt. Golden motes of light shimmered together into a single form, that of a blonde man in ornate gold and blue armor with a crimson half-skirt. "To think I held myself back," the new Servant began, standing perfectly balanced on a lamppost with his arms crossed over his chest. "When I saw a young woman speeding across the skyline with the seeming promise of proving more interesting than others in this droll little jest…but in the end she proves herself to be yet another mongrel among mongrels and usurpers."

Sakura narrowed her eyes, and turned to look up at the Servant. "I didn't have to take my family's shit back then," she defiantly began. "And I don't have to take your shit now either."

The Servant's blood-red eyes glared at her for her impudence. "You have a sharp tongue, mongrel woman." He hissed. "I suggest that you keep it in check, lest I relieve you of the responsibility of doing so."

"I'd like to see you try, Dio!"

The Servant made a sound of disgust, and in the blink of an eye a pair of golden portals opened to either side, gleaming blades flashing out to strike Sakura down. Or so they should have, Sakura instead deftly sidestepping both, the Noble Phantasms slammed into the ground and sending debris pluming into the air.

"Is that the best you can do, Dio?"

The Servant's eyes widened ever so slightly in offense, and another portal opened and with the previous ones fired another volley at Sakura. Again, Sakura dodged, but third volley of five blades was hot on the second's heels.

Irisviel and Waver gasped in fearful anticipation of the young woman's death, but the other Servants present just narrowed their eyes as Sakura stepped into a stance of some sort. And then stepping forward, arms moving in circular patterns she used her wrists and forearms to deflect the incoming blades.

More gasps filled the air as the young woman stepped back into her starting stance, debris falling around her from the deflected Noble Phantasms. And with those gasps was a growl of anger, the Servant – clearly the Archer – losing his temper at her impudence.

"How dare you?" Archer ground out. "You dare address the king with a false and mocking name, and now you dare challenge his judgment? You dare defy your swift and just punishment? You dare besmirch the king's treasures with your filthy hands? You shall know no mercy!"

The portals flashed and then rapid-fired two volleys before spreading out into a formation and firing a sixth. Sakura dodged and parried the two volleys before quickly splitting her legs to dodge the sixth volley…just as Archer expected.

Two swords flashed forward, meant to pierce her shoulders and pin her down, and three more swords behind it to finish her off. At least, that was clearly the plan.

 _Berserker, time to play._

A shimmering, black, armored figure appeared in front of Sakura, and catching the first two swords poured his prana into them. They blackened at the speed of thought, blood-red veins seeming to spread over their surface.

An insane roar erupted from the Berserker's throat as he parried the remaining three blades, and seemed to glare up at Archer. "Interesting…" Rider murmured while stroking his beard. "That's Berserker, huh? And yet despite his class and what comes with it he clearly has enough control to use weapons properly. No, more than that even. And that ability of his, to use his prana to…to turn what he touches even if they're others' Noble Phantasms, into his own weapons..."

Rider turned to Waver. "Boy," he said. "Can you tell me more about him?"

"I…I can't."

"What?"

"T-there's something…something's blocking my perceptions." Waver explained. "All his stats and skills are obscured."

"Obscured, you say?" Rider said before turning back to Berserker. "I see. Either that's a skill of his own, or it's the effect of one or another of his true Noble Phantasms, to further hide his identity, or so I think."

Waver glanced at Rider for a moment, and then swallowing dryly turned back to the battlefield. Archer for his part had fallen silent, arms falling down to his sides with fists clenched, face lowered. Now he raised it, twisted in anger.

"Like Master like Servant, I see." Archer spat, a hand rising to point accusingly at Berserker and Sakura, the latter having risen to her feet. "Not only would you assist her in defying the king's authority, you likewise dare lay your filthy hands on his treasures! Worse, you would turn them against their rightful owner! Death is the only just verdict for such heinous crimes!"

Gleaming swords and spears and other Noble Phantasms hurled themselves down at Berserker, but the black Servant just roared and stepping forward parried and blocked with no difficulty. Undeterred, Archer kept up the barrage, seeking to overwhelm the Servant of Madness and cut him to pieces.

And despite his madness, Berserker saw this. Growling in frustration, he threw aside both the swords he was holding, grabbed another pair, and dodging the rest of the volley hurled one of the swords he was holding at Archer, and the other at his lamppost.

Archer jumped into the air to avoid getting struck, but the lamppost could not do similar, the metal construction falling to the ground with a clang just moments before Archer landed on his feet. Shaking with rage, Archer glared hatefully at Sakura and Berserker. "Again," he snarled. "Again you dare commit a crime against the king! This time…this time, you dare make me stand on the ground…I! I who belong to the heavens!"

Sakura and others' eyes widened as dozens of portals opened around Archer, but Berserker just roared in challenge. "TEN THOUSAND DEATHS WILL NOT SUFFICE!" Archer roared, Noble Phantasms beginning to emerge and glow incandescent with prana.

Berserker just roared once more in defiance, but behind him Sakura settled into a stance, and again, perceptive eyes narrowed as her shadow _stretched_ in three directions, and seemed to grow…deeper.

The moment stretched, and then Archer _growled_. "You would have the king defer judgment for another day?" he snarled. "You have nerve, Tokiomi!"

With a wordless snarl and a dismissive sweep of an arm, Archer closed the portals and turned to leave, but not without a parting volley. "Make no mistake, mongrel criminals." He spat at Sakura and Berserker. "The king's justice will _not_ be obstructed. Prepare yourselves!"

And with a final snarl of disgust, Archer strode away, vanishing into motes of golden light.

* * *

"Archer has retreated."

"I can see that." Kiritsugu said, already aiming at Sakura's center of mass. "Now's our chance to take one of the strongest pieces off the board."

"Zio."

Kiritsugu eye's widened before rolling away on instinct, narrowly avoiding a bolt of lightning that instead struck and blew his sniper rifle to pieces. Maiya likewise rolled sideways into a crouch, submachine gun rising to aim…

…and then both she and Kiritsugu _stared_.

"You're not very sporty, are you…um, whoever you are." A small, fairy-like creature said as she floated in the air. "And from the sound of things, you were going to try and kill Sakura."

"Who are you?" Kiritsugu demanded. "No, more important than that, what are you?"

"Oh, that's a very good question!" the fairy said with childish exuberance, uncomfortably reminding Kiritsugu of his wife. "First of all, I'm Pixie! Second, I'm a demon!"

Demon; the word echoed in Kiritsugu's head, and he made the connection between the demon's – though how a fairy of all things could be considered a demon was beyond him – reference to the Matou Master as well as Matou's own flamboyant proclamation of herself as a 'Devil Summoner Extraordinaire'.

" _Shit…_ " he thought unhappily. " _I thought it was just empty bravado, but it looks like we might actually be dealing with a fucking demonologist. If so, then this little thing might not be the best Matou's capable of, and it was able to slip through my bounded field without me noticing, and was powerful enough to blow a sniper rifle to pieces in one shot. And we missed the chance to kill Matou too…Goddamn it._ "

"Now," Pixie continued, taking a mocking pose reminiscent of the Thinker in the air. "I don't know who you are, and I don't particularly care to be honest. With that said…well, this _is_ a war. Being sporty and fair and all that isn't really expected. So I guess I can respect you trying being ruthless enough to try and shoot Sakura in the back, and before that spying on the people down there from here. You wouldn't be working for any of them, are you? Or are you a Master yourself?"

Kiritsugu didn't answer, just stonily looking at the demonic fairy as she looked around for a Servant. After a few moments, Pixie turned back to Kiritsugu. "Well," Pixie began. "I didn't really expect an answer. But as a sign of respect, I'll let you leave unchallenged just this once. What do you say?"

"Time Alter: Triple Accel!"

Grenades bounced against the ground, blue lines fading as reinforcement was completed, while a grey and black blur swept across and off the rooftop, taking Maiya with it. Moments later and the rooftop and the floor below it were blown apart, Pixie angrily emerging from the debris cloud singed and dirty, her wings battered and painful.

"Sneaky bastard!" she snarled before righting herself, and then winced as her wings protested. "Dia."

White light briefly flickered over her form, and the pain vanished as her wings and burns healed. "I'll be sure to get you for that." Pixie hissed. "And if I don't, then Sakura will."

* * *

"Berserker, stand down." Sakura ordered, noticing her Servant glaring at a wary-looking Saber. The Servant ignored her, and seemed to be ready to pounce, but Sakura narrowed her eyes and figuratively tugged hard on their connection. "I said, stand down!"

For a long moment, Berserker stood silent and still, and then roared once in frustration. Sakura made a dismissive gesture, and the Servant vanished into astral form. "Sorry about that," she said to Saber and Irisviel. "But he's a bit…eh, struggling, to control his urges."

Saber nodded curtly, as did Irisviel. "Well that was an impressive show." Rider remarked after a moment, Sakura turning to face him. "And I didn't think a Master could stand up to a Servant like that. What kind of magic was that?"

Sakura blinked, and then remembering the battle lifted her arms. Eyes narrowed as she focused on the torn gashes through her jacket's sleeves, and the chafed and reddened skin below. After a moment, she smiled and lowered her arms before turning back to Rider. "No magic," she said. "Just a combination of Tai Chi Fist and a healthy body, that's all."

"What?" Irisviel asked in shock. "Are you…are you saying that was all just…well, you?"

"Pretty much," Sakura said with a shrug.

"But, that's impossible! There's no way a Human could hope to…!"

Sakura raised her eyebrows as Irisviel trailed off. "Lady," she said. "There are Chinese monks who can _fly_ simply by practicing martial arts their whole lives. They can walk through fire and even shoot energy blasts for that same reason. I'm not a monk well, a nun, but I went through that same training as well. What makes you think I can't do what they can?"

"Well, that's…"

Rider laughed loudly. "So, can you do any of those things that you just said they could?" he asked.

Sakura smiled at him. "I can't fly," she said. "But I can jump good."

"Yes, I definitely saw that." Rider said with a laugh. "By the way, what was that 'Dio' thing you kept calling Archer? Is that who he is? I don't know any Heroic Spirits by that name though."

Sakura blinked and laughed. "Oh _that_." She said. "Sorry, but he kind of pissed me off back there, acting all high and mighty. So I called him a comic book villain that he kind of resembled in more ways than one. Pissed him off too, by the looks of it."

Rider laughed again. "Yes, I think so too." He said. "But, while I admit golden boy could use some mellowing, I think we ought to give him a chance too, don't you?"

"Oh?"

"Victory without ruination, subjugation without humiliation, such is true conquest!" Rider boomed, striking a fist against his chest. "He might be an enemy now, but so were many who later became my greatest friends and allies. And so it may yet be with Archer."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, and after a moment snorted and smiled with resignation. "I see," she said. "King of Conquerors indeed."

Rider rumbled his amusement, and offered a hand to Sakura. "So how about it, little lady?" he asked. "Won't you join my army?"

Sakura hummed, and then shrugged and spread her hands. "Maybe," she said with a smile. "I'll have to think about it. You deserve that much, for being the King of Conquerors on one hand, and for actually offering me a free choice on the other."

"Choice is the only true freedom there is." Rider observed, and Sakura's eyes widened before she grinned and applauded.

"Well said, and I fully agree!" she said with genuine agreement. "I think we might get along just fine!"

Rider and Sakura shared a laugh, and then an explosion erupted in the distance. "Hmm," Rider hummed while looking in its direction. "Looks like things are continuing elsewhere without regard for the serious talk here. And Lancer already bailed off long since, probably to get his Master looked at. Matou here did do something of a number on him."

"Not sorry about that," Sakura said primly before glancing at Saber. "Though, I will apologize for keeping you from resuming your battle with Lancer, Saber."

Saber met Sakura's eyes, and then nodded after a moment. "Apology accepted, Miss Matou." She said.

Sakura nodded, as did Rider who patted a relieved-looking Waver on a shoulder. "Well then," he said. "I suppose we might as well call it a night, unless anyone here wishes to continue fighting. No? Very good then, though I'm not giving up on you yet, Saber. And the same goes for Lancer as well."

Saber frowned before Irisviel smiled and patted her on an arm, while Rider turned back to Sakura. "As for you Matou," he said. 'Take your time thinking about my offer, though I'll expect an answer before too long. Well then, I take my leave."

Two Masters and two Servants (one in astral form) watched as Rider depart as he came, on crackling bolts of lightning from the Divine Bulls that drew his chariot, and then nodding at Saber Sakura too departed, walking off into the night. Alone now with Irisviel, Saber glanced at the homunculus, who smiled at her.

"They all seem like really interesting characters, aren't they?" she said. "And the war's only just begun too."

Saber blinked, and then returned Irisviel's smile. "Yes," she admitted. "I suppose they are."

* * *

A/N

Yes! I finally get to write about Broskander the Great! And I get to write a character calling the Golden NEET 'Dio' to his face! Dio, as in Dio Brando of JJBA fame. Of course, Dio is more fabulous than Gil, to the point that Gil would simply die out of the realization that he'll never be as fabulous as Dio if they ever met (to say nothing of the Pillar Men aka the Aztec Gods of Fitness), but still…!

Back to Rider…he's so bro, it feels great to write about him. Too bad being bro doesn't work in Fate/Zero, not to mention SMT, except of course, when it comes to the protagonists. Well, not really, the protagonists have to fight and kill their bros through the games in SMT (and in SMT 4 their own love interest commits suicide because she can't walk the same path as him), so…


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Chapter 3

Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri nodded with professional satisfaction, and stepped back as she finished repairing the damage done to Kayneth's body. "I'm finished over here." Sola said to him. "Though, you should rest for a bit, maybe sleep in tomorrow morning. Repairing organs and tissue is all well and good, but the repairs themselves also strain the body to an extent, and there's nothing I can do about the lingering effects of shock and trauma. Physical weakness for one, just to give an example."

Kayneth nodded on the bed Lancer had laid him down on when they returned to their hideout, and on which Sola had operated on him. Kayneth had actually regained consciousness en route, which might actually have been a blessing, all things considered. The damage done to his body had been quite critical, and it was quite likely he'd have died of shock had he stayed unconscious.

" _What a shame._ " Sola-Ui thought, though nothing of it showed on her face.

As it was though, Kayneth upon regaining consciousness had forcibly reopened his magic circuits, and used his crest to keep himself alive until Sola could begin repairing the damage dealt by Matou. This meant though that he had to keep himself conscious during the operation, and while not as invasive as mundane surgery, magical medicine was not painless by any stretch of the imagination.

As a result, now that the operation was finished and Kayneth could finally shut his crest and circuits down, the magus was thoroughly exhausted. "It's probably best to move you someplace more comfortable." Sola remarked. "I'm uncertain if you should or could walk, so I think I'll go and call Lancer."

Kayneth glanced at Sola from the corner of his eyes at that, and briefly closed his eyes. "No," he said, forcing himself upright. "I should be able to get to my bed on my own. Just get me a cane to walk with."

Sola didn't say anything for a moment, and then nodded. "Alright then." She said, before leaving the spare room she'd operated in, and went to find a cane for Kayneth. Walking through the atelier to a cabinet, she rummaged through the interior and after a few moments found what she was looking for.

Returning to the room she'd left, she blinked as she heard voices, and then picked up the pace. Upon arrival, she found Lancer kneeling before Kayneth, who was sitting on the bed with a pained expression on his face.

"What's going on here?" Sola demanded as she entered the room, and approached the bed.

Kayneth glanced at her and then back at Lancer. "Lancer was apologizing just now." Kayneth said.

"Apologizing?" Sola echoed. "For what?"

"For allowing Matou to assault and injure me."

"Now wait just a minute here," Sola began. "It's not Lancer's fault that…"

Kayneth waved Sola to silence. "Yes, yes," he said. "I know it's not Lancer's fault, and I've already told him as such. While I was not unaware of the risk of an attack from the rear, and had taken preemptive measures to deal with such a development, I underestimated it. The bounded fields could have been made more formidable, and advance warning provided. But, to think Volumen Hydragyrum would be so impotent…"

Sola's eyebrows rose at the sight and sounds of Kayneth actually admitting he'd made a mistake, while the magus in question trailed off to quietly contemplate the earlier developments. After several long moments though, Kayneth sighed and rubbed his hands together.

"Regardless," he began. "We'll need to retrieve it. Even if shown to be lacking, the amount of effort put into producing Volumen Hydragyrum means it simply cannot be left to rot. Furthermore, it was not completely lacking. The speed of the auto-defense function was more than sufficient. The power of the first level of defense simply was not, but that can be compensated for, and undoubtedly, I can improve Volumen Hydragyrum based on what we've gathered."

"Tomorrow morning then," Sola said after a moment. "While it risks someone coming and stealing it while it's just lying there, considering your exhaustion, it might not be wise to leave, or even send Lancer out in your place."

"A prudent call," Kayneth said after a moment's thought. "And I am inclined to agree. As you say, my injuries leave me not at my best, and sending Lancer out would leave a gap in our defenses here, no matter how formidable they already are. And of course, heading out in the daylight reduces the risk of an enemy attack."

Sola nodded, and Kayneth fell silent for several more moments. Finally, he turned back to Sola. "I assume you were watching through the familiars?" he asked.

"I was." Sola confirmed.

"Tell me more about this Sakura Matou who assailed me."

"Simply put, she's a nobody."

Kayneth raised an eyebrow. "While I share your disdain for an Oriental magus with low or even no Association rank," he began. "She is not _quite_ a nobody. A worthy opponent, at least, who may yet earn more than a footnote in the annals of our endeavor here and now."

"No, no," Sola said while shaking her head. "She's literally a nobody."

"Explain."

"I've read our dossier on the Matou Clan before." Sola said. "And I've used a recall and search spell to find any reference to her. She literally doesn't exist. The closest would be the last heiress of the Matou Clan, who shares the same name as the woman who attacked you, but the one our records mention is a girl of five."

Kayneth made a sound of disgust. "Could the records perhaps have been erroneous?" he wondered.

"Possibly," Sola said before giving a small smile. "But if so, _your_ sources are to blame."

Kayneth narrowed his eyes at that, but ultimately decided not to press. "Alternatively," Sola said, deciding to offer an olive branch after glancing at Lancer. "My recollection of the dossier could be erroneous. Memories after all, even the eidetic ones of magi, are not completely foolproof. If so, then a closer look at the hardcopy of the dossier may offer more or correct information."

Kayneth nodded slowly. "Quite," he said before narrowing his eyes again. "Still, to think a fading clan could produce someone so formidable. They were supposed to be on the brink of extinction, weren't they?"

"Their previous patriarch killed, their heiress kidnapped, and the current family head barely worth calling a magus." Sola said before giving an amused chuckle. "And he doesn't have an heir of his own, not that he would be able to teach them much."

Kayneth nodded again, but said nothing for a few moments. "What do you think?" he finally asked. "About this Sakura Matou? Ignore the issues regarding the dossier, and focus on the threat she poses, and on what magecraft she might possess."

"Hmm…" Sola hummed and paced for several long moments. "First of all, we may be facing a rare master of breathing and walking. Certainly, the efficacy of such a school of performing miracles is in question, but it cannot be denied that she was able to counter Volumen Hydragyrum's first level of defense with no difficulty, at least from the look of things."

"I will not dispute the cited feat," Kayneth said. "But why do you attribute it to breathing and walking? Matou are practitioners of orthodox magecraft, were they not?"

"They were, or are." Sola agreed with a nod. "But neither of you saw the battle progress the way it did after you departed."

Kayneth raised an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

Sola smiled. "That Sakura Matou," she began. "She managed to turn all the Noble Phantasms Archer threw at her with her bare hands."

"What?" Kayneth gasped with wide eyes.

"That's impossible!" Lancer breathed in disbelief. "No disrespect intended, Lady Sola, but magi or no, Humans cannot match Servants, except possibly the Caster and Assassin Classes."

"Then that is clearly an erroneous school of thought." Sola said. "I have seen what I have seen. Granted, Archer did not invoke the names and true power of his Noble Phantasms, but Matou was able to hold her own against him."

"Show me." Kayneth said.

Sola acquiesced, letting Kayneth press his fingers against a temple for a few moments to view her memories, and sharing them with Lancer. After a few moments, they both gasped. "T-t-that's not possible." Lancer stammered. "Well, it clearly is, but…how?"

"I can see how you made the connection to breathing and walking." Kayneth admitted. "Matou's movements when she attacked me, and again when defending herself against Archer…some form of Oriental martial art, I think?"

"I think so too." Sola said with a nod.

"But," Kayneth said. "There's also a limit to Matou's ability to fight a Servant. Archer was able to outmaneuver her eventually, and had not Tohsaka prudently ordered Archer to stand down towards the end – no doubt to preserve the secret of Archer's identity – he could have overpowered her and that Berserker of hers."

"Quite," Sola agreed with another nod. "That said, from all she's shown us so far, it would be prudent not to attempt to engage her in hand to hand combat. Neither of us are particularly adept at it. Though, as I recall you are an adept fencer, are you not Kayneth?"

Kayneth unhappily hummed an affirmative. "Fencing would be of little use against her." He grudgingly conceded. "But while I agree actual hand to hand would be unwise, it is not completely against us. Volumen Hydragyrum has sufficient speed, and the power can be increased to compensate. However, that doesn't factor in magecraft…"

"She claimed to be a demonologist." Sola said softly. "I understand it could be taken as mere bravado, but…"

"Matou as I recall, have a focus on the creation and use of familiars, do they not?" Kayneth asked after a moment.

"According to their dossier and what reputation they had in the Clock Tower," Sola said. "Yes, yes they do."

"Demons can be made into familiars." Kayneth continued. "Though, demonology is an obscure, ill-regarded, and little-practiced school of Thaumaturgy. While I know and understand its basics are no different from the rest of spiritual invocation, I know little of its more advanced concepts and mysteries."

Sola smirked. "A worthy opponent then, Lord El-Melloi." She said with veiled mockery. Kayneth though, failed to catch on it, or if he did, misinterpreted it as congratulations for finding someone he could earn accolades against.

"So it seems," he said. "Hmm…so, in future battles with Matou, Volumen Hydragyrum needs increased power, and when going on the offensive, we need to use a strategy that involves forcing or drawing Matou into a prepared battlefield. While I admit my lack of mastery in demonology, basics are the foundation of everything. And seeing as demonology shares the same foundation as spiritual invocation in general…"

Kayneth trailed off with a satisfied smile, while Sola glanced at Lancer. After a moment, she turned back to Kayneth. "While that sounds well and good against Matou," she said. "What of that Berserker of hers?"

Kayneth focused on Lancer. "Do you have an answer for us, Lancer?" he asked, not noticing the veiled concern on Sola's face.

"If it is purely a question of raw power," Lancer said, bowing his head. "Then I cannot defeat Berserker. But, battles are not determined solely by raw power. Berserker will be a worthy and difficult foe, but his lack of self will be his undoing. Victory will be yours, my lord."

Kayneth smiled with satisfaction. "Very well," he said. "I'll hold you to your word, Lancer."

"Then as a Knight of Fianna," Lancer said, raising his head. "I will uphold my word to you, my lord."

Kayneth nodded in acceptance, but Sola looked troubled. "Berserker has yet to use a Noble Phantasm of his own." She said worriedly. "Don't get too reckless when you fight against Berserker, Lancer."

"Yes," Lancer said with a nod. "I understand your concerns, and will keep them in mind. Rest assured, my lord and lady, that I have no intention of dying, until I have fulfilled my obligations as a knight."

Sola still looked troubled, but after a moment she took a deep breath. "If you say so," she said, not noticing Kayneth's suspicious eyes on her. "What of the other Masters and Servants though?"

"Lancer has already proven himself a match, if not more so, for Saber." Kayneth said. "Her armor is no match for his spear, and her ability to use the full power of her Noble Phantasm already crippled. It is now a question of when, not if, Einzbern will be defeated."

"And Rider?"

Kayneth laughed hard at that, though he quickly stopped as he grimaced and seemed to crumple in pain. Lancer looked concerned, while Sola had to put real effort into hiding her cheer and satisfaction at Kayneth's agony. After several moments though, Kayneth managed to recover.

"Rider will be a troublesome foe," he ground out. "That chariot of his has a lot of power, and would allow him to launch hit and run attacks. But, his Master is a foolish boy unworthy to be called a magus. Lancer should be able to hold out long enough to exhaust Waver Velvet's prana, and then the advantage swings to us."

For a moment Sola surprised herself at feeling pity for what Kayneth would do to Waver if Lancer ever defeated Rider, and then shrugged it off. Besides, considering they were up against the King of Conquerors, she had a feeling it wouldn't nearly be as easy as Kayneth made it sound as it was.

"Assassin has already fallen, and his Master has taken up refuge at Kotomine Church." Sola said, though a part of her felt…uneasy, at how it just seemed all too easy how Archer had previously dispatched Assassin. "And we have the edge against Caster. While their Master remains unknown to us, it seems unlikely that they'll be as formidable as Matou. Magi of that caliber are not exactly common after all, especially outside the Association."

"Certainly," Kayneth agreed with a nod. "If other lords and ranking members of the Association participated as we did, we would have known of it beforehand."

Sola nodded, but then her expression turned worried, and she gave Lancer a sideways glance. "But," she said. "If Matou is perhaps the…worthiest, Master to face us, then her counterpart among the Servants would be…"

"Archer?"

Sola nodded. "A blonde Servant in golden armor," she began. "With access to numerous Noble Phantasms stored in what may be an alternate space, and from which he fires them as projectiles, hence his class."

"He also seems to be claiming to have been a king in life, much like Saber and Rider." Kayneth noted. "But, I know of no kings in gold with so many weapons that could become Noble Phantasms upon their ascension as Heroic Spirits."

"I do not know of any such kings either." Sola said before glancing at Lancer, who shook his head.

"Forgive me my lord," Lancer said. "But I cannot give you an answer."

Kayneth hummed with frustration, a hand rising to stroke his chin while he frowned in thought. After several moments though, Sola spoke up. "Speaking of identities," she said. "I may have an idea about Matou."

"Oh?" Kayneth said, turning to her. "Do share."

"You yourself said that demonology is not a particularly well-regarded field of study." Sola said. "What if her clan thought so too?"

"Are you implying perhaps, that she is an outcast? A black sheep of the Matou Clan?"

"I am." Sola said with a nod. "Maybe she was driven out, or her parents or their parents, and that is why there is no mention of her in the dossier. But more than that, with the clan patriarch dead, the current head a bad joke, and no heir she may be seeking to use victory in this war to gain the prestige she needs to seize the clan – or what's left of it – for herself."

Sola paused and sighed. "Of course," she said. "There's no proof for any of that, be it Matou's possible motivation, or her origin."

Kayneth stared at Sola for a few moments, and then turning away narrowed his eyes in thought. "True," he said, though with a rather contemplative tone.

 _Archer…Sakura Matou…just who are you?_

* * *

Pixie looked up at the sky, picked up the nearby can of Coca-Cola, and tossed it. It flew through the air, flipping over a couple of times, and was caught in a firm grip by Sakura as she jumped in, landing on the rooftop they'd decided as a rendezvous point. "Thanks!" Sakura said.

"No problem." Pixie said with a grin.

Sakura smiled back…and then pointed the can at Pixie. The fairy yelped and flew away, and snickering to herself Sakura pointed the can in another direction before opening it. "Nice try." She said, while letting pressurized soft drink jet out.

Pixie blew a raspberry before settling down on a nearby bench, and began sipping from her own can of Coca-Cola through a straw. "How'd it go?" she eventually asked.

Sakura took a drink before replying. "Not bad, to be honest." She said. "I've probably made a sworn enemy when I threw that blonde man off the roof, and definitely made a sworn enemy from the old man's Archer…"

"Old man? You mean your blood father?"

"Yup!" Sakura said, taking another drink. "Since he was all blonde and gold and all 'I'm better than you mongrels' and shit like that – and he actually called everyone there 'mongrels and usurpers' I kid you not – I called him Dio to his face."

"Oh wow!" Pixie said. "Was he really as bad as Dio Brando?"

"In terms of character…he certainly seems that way, for now."

"Oh?"

Sakura smiled and shrugged. "We don't really know him that well," she said. "And in hindsight…yeah, I think I went too far there. He just really pissed me off with all his high and mighty talk, so…yeah."

"Can he stop time?"

Sakura gave Pixie a look. "Not funny," she said, though she grinned when Pixie stuck out her tongue. "But no, he couldn't stop time. At least I don't think so. Even among those with power beyond the limits of local conceptual systems, the ability to stop, well, _control_ time beyond freely travelling across and between time axles is something only possessed by the most powerful demons."

"So he didn't go 'Za Warudo'?"

Sakura chuckled. "Sadly," she said. "But also fortunately, he did not."

Pixie pouted. "Aww, that's a shame." She said. "Still, as you said, probably for the best. If he stopped time like Dio can, there's nothing you can do about it."

"Yeah, no arguments there." Sakura said. "I'd really rather not go out like that, especially since the bastard can actually hurt me."

"What?"

Sakura held out her arms, and Pixie flew over there. Seeing the gashes through the cloth where Archer's Noble Phantasms had cut through them, the fairy gasped. "But how?" she asked. "Given your high vitality, the personal affinity of your clothes to your being should have…!"

"Servants are toys." Sakura interrupted. " _Very **dangerous**_ toys…"

She trailed off, and smiled. "This might actually be more fun than we expected it to be," she said. "Or more dangerous at least."

Pixie looked thoughtful for a moment, and then she too shrugged and smiled. "Well," she said. "I suppose I can't argue with you there."

Sakura chuckled and nodded. "Bastard just kept throwing swords and spears at me from a pocket space where he probably kept them." She said. "Towards the end though, he began charging them with magatsuhi, so I'm not sure if I can keep blocking them like I did in the first round. Well, Berserker's certainly proven himself useful there…if making golden boy even angrier."

"Really? How?"

"Golden boy dislikes me for backtalk and touching his things." Sakura said, taking a drink and shaking the can slightly to see how much was inside. "Berserker though…well, as you know he can make a weapon or rather a Noble Phantasm out of anything. And he could catch those weapons Archer was throwing out."

"Oh, I see what you mean." Pixie said with a dreary expression of comprehension on her face. "Golden boy took it personally, as in more than touching his stuff and actually stealing them."

"If I remember right, the word he used was 'defile'. Talk about possessive, I wouldn't want to be his girlfriend."

Pixie snickered at that, and Sakura shrugged. "So," Pixie began. "Any idea on who he could be?"

"Not a clue," Sakura said. "Maybe we should have asked for detailed information on who the Servants are from Takao-san…no, that'd be cheating and that's no fun…"

Sakura trailed off, and after a glance at Pixie both shared a shrug. "Anyway," Sakura continued. "Apart from that things seemed to have gone well. Saber at least seems to respect me, though given what I did to his Master I doubt Lancer's going to be anything more than polite."

"What about the other Servants who were there?" Pixie asked.

"Rider was there." Sakura said. "He arrived sometime before me, introduced himself by name – Alexander the Great would you believe it – and then gave a big speech that our drones caught and sent back to me, about joining his army to conquer the world by his side. Saber and Lancer didn't seem to be receptive though, but while at first glance he might not be so friendly with us…I think we might actually get along just fine."

"Alexander the Great? Really?" Pixie echoed in surprise. "And why do you say that?"

"Actually, he prefers Iskandar for some reason," Sakura said. "And he said, and I quote 'choice is the only true freedom there is'."

"Suddenly I also think we'll get along just fine." Pixie said with a grin. "What else do we know about him? Apart from the fact that he's Alexander the Great, and wants everyone else to just join him in conquering the world? And is that even possible?"

"I have no idea." Sakura said with a sigh. "The joining him and conquering the world bit, that is. As for more about him…all in all, he seems like a great guy, but I'm sure there's another side to him. There are no conquerors with clean hands after all, and in all timelines he didn't hesitate to burn the Persian capital to ash during his war of conquest."

Pixie nodded in agreement. "I don't know much about Saber or Lancer's Master," Sakura continued. "But I think Rider's Master could be useful to us. From the sound of things, his joining the war was a form of rebellion against his master, who may have put him down more than once in the past."

"That sounds promising." Pixie agreed. "Though, it might be harder than expected to get him on our side."

"Yup," Sakura said with a nod. "Sowing the seeds of Chaos, so to speak, is going to take some work. Not that it won't be worth it in the end, of course."

"That it won't."

Sakura drained her can of soft drink, and tossing it up and down a few times whistled a tune before focusing on Pixie again. "How did things go on your end?" she asked.

Pixie made a face of disgust. "I'm going to get that man." She spat. "Kiri something…nearly blew me up along with the roof of that building we were on."

"So that explosion was you?" Sakura asked in alarm and concern. "What happened? And are you hurt?"

"I wasn't that badly hurt." Pixie said. "Just some light burns and scratches. Nothing a single Dia couldn't fix. And no, that wasn't me. The bastard threw some magically-enhanced grenades at me before rushing off with his girlfriend. I managed to get some distance before they went off, but still, I got buffeted and those light injuries I mentioned before."

"I'm going to get that bastard, and feed him to a preta, mark my words!"

"Get in line." Pixie said with a smile. "And besides, now that I've had some time to cool off and think, maybe we're taking this too personally. We're at war after all."

Sakura was silent for a couple of moments. "Maybe," she finally said, and Pixie shrugged.

"Anyway," she said. "From the look of things, he really doesn't seem to be a Master himself, though he might have been working for one of the Masters down there, or one of the Masters hiding somewhere. Maybe even your old man. Or some other agenda entirely."

Sakura glanced at Pixie who tilted her head. Eyes narrowed, and Pixie sighed. "Here we go." She said.

Sakura closed her eyes…and then ducking down avoided a chop to the back of her neck that _might_ have knocked her out. In the next split-second she'd crouched down and swept a leg out along the ground in a semi-circle behind her.

The assailant stepped back, avoiding getting their feet swept out from beneath, and attempted to jab at Sakura's throat, only for an iron grip to clutch onto their arm. Behind a silver half-mask, eyes widened in shock as they stared into a pair of icy blue ones, Sakura pulling the Assassin through the air in a semi-circle a few steps back.

Hard blows echoed through the air as Sakura slapped and backhanded the Assassin's face several times over a few seconds, her free left hand firmly holding onto the Assassin's right arm. A leg rose to kick at her side, but was blocked by Sakura's right arm. It was enough to allow the Assassin to pull their arm free, but not enough to dodge the kick that sent the Assassin flying.

Turning, Sakura quickly stepped forward in a Tai Chi stance, and caught another Assassin's fist with her left hand, turned it away in a circular motion, as her right fist rose up and punched the Assassin in the face. The half-mask broke as the Assassin crumpled back, Sakura turning the next Assassin's blow aside with a reversing motion of her right arm slamming her right hand into the Assassin's right shoulder and throwing them aside with a powerful backhand.

Another Assassin was right behind them, but Sakura sidestepped their blow, and simultaneously grabbing their right arm and stepping forward jabbed her elbow into the Assassin's face while letting go. Silver broke and the Servant was thrown back, Sakura going through her katas to cycle her energy and then punched an Assassin which tried to attack from the flank in the face.

Another Assassin jumped in, moving faster this time, but Sakura was able to block their blows with her palms. A jab back disrupted a surprise attack from another Assassin in the back, and then moving her arms in a circular motion launched two powerful palm strikes. One took the Assassin in the front in the face, while the second took the other Assassin in the torso.

Both Servants went flying.

Sakura then stepped back, avoiding an Assassin's blow, and grabbing its arm pulled and threw the Assassin aside. As the Assassin flipped through the air, Sakura landed a palm strike on its torso, and eliciting a cry of pain from the Assassin as their internal energy was disrupted and their physical condition debilitated more than should have been had they merely been thrown aside.

Stepping through her katas to cycle her energy, Sakura jabbed her right elbow sideways, and simultaneously slapped her left palm against her right fist. The elbow slammed into an Assassin's chest, who went flying back with a shout of pain. Again, Sakura stepped through her katas, and back into her starting position.

"So these are the Assassins?" Pixie loudly asked from her seat, and looking around to see many more black-clothed and silver-masked figures standing around them on surrounding rooftops. "They look like Japanese ninjas, not Persians!"

The Assassins just ignored the fairy, and focused on Sakura. "This is not going to end like you think it is." Sakura told them. "Leave, and no one needs to die. If you haven't noticed, I haven't killed anyone of you…yet!"

A thrown knife was dodged, and half-buried itself in the concrete floor. Cold laughter echoed through the air, and Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Alright," she said. "If that's how you want to play, then let's play. Sui-Ki! Fuu-Ki! Kin-Ki!"

Assassins stepped back in shock and surprise as three… _demons_ , emerged from Sakura's suddenly large and… _deep_ , shadow. One took the appearance of a traditional Japanese ogre, with purple skin striped with bands of deeper violet, wearing black and grey Japanese attire that left its legs, arms, and hands bare, and holding a club-like weapon of some kind.

Another demon had flesh the color of gold, and its face was noble and filled with gravitas, but its head was inhumanly extended upwards, a crown of spikes sprouting from its brow. The demon sported flamboyant if still traditional Japanese attire that left its legs, chest, arms and hands, giving the appearance of a fighting pit champion.

The final demon was similar to the first, only with sky blue flesh streaked with spirals of deeper blue. Its face was inhumanly distended, a purplish crater in what should have been its face, centered around a glowing, eye-like point. Like its kin, the demon wore traditional Japanese attire that left its legs and arms bare, but its forearms were encased with overlapping plates of violet metal. And in its hands, forged of metal white as the demon's clothes, was a doubled-bladed glaive.

"Let's kick their asses."

* * *

A/N

Early Christmas bonus to you guys, Happy Holidays!


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Chapter 4

" _…all but seven of Assassin's bodies have been destroyed,_ " Kirei telepathically reported to Tokiomi, who sat on a chair in the Tohsaka mansion and inwardly fretting at the unexpected turns the war had taken. " _I have ordered them to retreat, so as to preserve what advantages Assassin provides us, no matter how diminished their numbers are._ "

" _Very well, Kirei,_ " Tokiomi said. " _It seems we've underestimated this 'Sakura Matou'. Lie low for now, and await further instructions._ "

" _Yes, my master._ "

Tokiomi sighed as he cut the link, and closing his eyes wearily rubbed his face with a hand. This was _not_ how the war should be going. He was supposed to be lying low, while the other Masters and Servants picked each other off, Archer destroying any and all who challenged him, while Assassin took out targets of opportunity and more than that, provided information from the ground in the shadows. And once all but Archer and Assassin were left, Kirei and Tokiomi would use their command spells to fulfil what the Grail was originally meant to do. Not as a means to grant wishes, but to open up a path beyond the World, and to the Root itself.

The ultimate objective of the magi, and the fulfilment of his and his family's labors for generations.

Of course, it was a risky plan, something he had known and understood from the very beginning. No matter how low the chances of defeat and death were rendered by the overwhelming might of the King of Heroes, advance warning and ability to open up additional fronts courtesy of Kirei and Assassin, and the formidable defenses of the Tohsaka property, they could never be completely eliminated.

But Tokiomi had taken it all in stride, as he should, not just as a participant in the Holy Grail War but as one who walked the path of the magus. Magi walked with death, that was the first lesson they all learned, no matter how different succeeding lessons were between families.

However, whether he died in battle or attempting to reach the Root, or indeed, as a result of _reaching_ the Root, it was Tokiomi's journey. His family, his _children_ walked their own journeys, that while starting with him were meant to be charted and concluded by themselves. Rin's course was already set, as his heiress and who would continue the family's legacy beyond him.

Her sister though…Sakura…she had potential equal to her sister, and deserved to be given the same chance. But alas, as a magus he could not, _should not_ even, give her that chance. Only one in each family could be allowed to inherit its legacy, whether to avoid risking future rivalries tearing it apart, or diluting the profoundness of its mysteries.

But as a father…he _had_ to give her that chance.

Tokiomi had considered his mother's family, the Edelfelt Clan, could have taken Sakura in and given her what he could not. But just as he had been about to make contact, the Tohsaka's old ally Zouken Matou had made contact with Tokiomi, and offered to take Sakura in. Sadly, it seemed that the Matou Clan's blood had thinned too much, and with the absconding of their heir Kariya were left on the verge of extinction.

And so Zouken had called on their old alliance and friendship with the Tohsaka, and offered to make Sakura his heiress. For Tokiomi it was exactly what was needed, and could even be more than what Edelfelt could have given Sakura. At best, she would have been a branch member, and while she would have excelled to the best of her ability there, that was all she would have been.

Under Zouken's tutelage though, she would be heiress to a lineage equal to Tohsaka's own, and would make a name for herself, just as her sister would as Tohsaka's heiress. It would be hard certainly, for in addition to learning a school of magecraft different to that her bloodline had an affinity for, Tokiomi knew Zouken was a harsh taskmaster. But Tokiomi again took it all in stride, for nothing great was ever achieved without hard work and great sacrifice, and once again, there was the first lesson all magi ever learned.

Magi walked with death.

And so it should have been. Tokiomi had hardened his heart at the pain of giving away his daughter, knowing that never again would she call him father, at the distress and grief of Aoi and Rin, who likewise would never call Sakura daughter or sister ever again, all so Tokiomi could fulfil his duty as a father and as a magus…

…but it was not to be.

On the same day Sakura ceased to be part of his family, the Matou property had been attacked. Zouken Matou had been killed, and Sakura kidnapped. It was a terrifying prospect, and a fate he had sought to avoid for her that was as much a reason that he had sought a worthy family to take her in as much as it was his duty as a magus and as a father.

At best, a dying lineage would take her in as their heiress. It was possible, and not something he ultimately had qualms with beyond the method used to obtain her provided they treated her well, only it was a very slim chance.

Most likely, however, they merely sought her as breeding material for her incredibly-rare Imaginary Numbers, or worse, as an experimental subject. Prospects that had utterly terrified Tokiomi, and had left him at a loss when his wife had gone distraught when he'd broken the news to her.

 _Give her back to me! Give my daughter back to me! Give her back…give her back…_

 _…_

 _…_

 _…_

 _I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry…_

Tokiomi sighed and bowed his head, remembering how words failed him and his wife, Aoi vainly and weakly beating at his chest while collapsing in tears, and all he could do was hold her. And whisper apologies that tasted like ash in his mouth…

 _My fault…it's all my fault…I shouldn't have sent her away…I should have…I should have…I…_

Tokiomi sighed again, and sat back in his chair, eyes soft and distant as he remembered the name of the daughter he had lost…

…and the name of the mysterious Matou Master: **_Sakura_** Matou.

Was there are a connection there?

And if there was, what?

In all likelihood though, they just shared a name. Magic could achieve a lot of things, but turning a five…six-year old girl, into a magus in her late-twenties to mid-thirties with enough power to fight defensively against the King of Heroes (who was admittedly not going all out and was able to force Sakura Matou to bring forth her Servant soon enough) …

…that was…improbable, so much so as to be impossible.

And yet something told him there _was_ a connection. That was why he had ordered Kirei to take her into custody in an ambush, both to catch her off her guard and prevent the secret of Assassin's survival from being discovered by others, and from there interrogate her for the answers Tokiomi sought.

Unfortunately, she'd proven perceptive enough to break the ambush and turn it…and not even calling on her Servant to do so. All the while showing a stunned Tokiomi (though Kirei and Assassin's eyes) her expertise in what seemed to be a variation of _taijiquan_. He'd suspected that she was using some form of martial art after seeing – again through Kirei and Assassin's eyes (due to the King of Heroes' absolute refusal to allow Tokiomi to 'share the king's vision') – her fight Archer, but after seeing her fight and absolutely _destroy_ Assassin…

…Tokiomi was a master of _bajiquan_ himself. He could recognize a fellow practitioner of the martial arts when he saw one, and gauge their skill to an extent. And while he could see some inefficiencies and flaws in her motions that showed Sakura Matou to _not_ be a master of her form, she paradoxically enough had mastered breathing and walking to a degree Tokiomi and his ancestors had not, to be able to briefly match a Servant Knight, and to crush the Servant of Assassination.

 _Marvellous…_

And then of course, her demonology.

Tokiomi knew little of demonology, having only mastered his basics in spiritual invocation as part of his general foundation. But from what he saw of Sakura Matou'd demonic familiars, from that small, fairy-like creature to those three hulking brutes that were likely _oni_ or ogres of some form or another…

…this was a first class magus, at least on par with him, and at most surpassing even Lord El-Melloi himself. Even more so, given how easily she'd forced him to retreat at her arrival on the battlefield.

Which in turn begged the question: where did she come from?

And what was her relation to Matou?

Was she even truly a Matou to begin with?

And what was her purpose in breaking into the Matou mansion the previous night?

That last actually brought a suspicion to Tokiomi's mind, albeit one with little evidence to back it up. The Matou magecraft specialized in the creation and use of familiars, with 'absorption' as their core concept.

And demons could be made into familiars, much like that woman had. Though, the problem with that was that demonology was not a really well-regarded field of study, for all that it was considered a part – as far as he knew – of the curriculum of the Clock Tower's Department of Spiritual Invocation.

Could she perhaps, be an outcast? Or the descendants of one? Tokiomi knew all of the Matou of his and the previous generation, but beyond that…

…were her ancestors cast out by the Matou Clan for taking their magecraft in a direction undesired by the rest of them?

And did she perhaps assault her ancestral home, to take advantage of her patriarch and his heiress' demise, to salvage what she could salvage?

And indeed, was her reason for joining the war just a means to gain the necessary credibility to gain control of the clan?

* * *

Archer brooded as he sat on a chair in the Tohsaka mansion, swirling a glass of wine in his hand. In all honesty it was cheap by the standards of his palate, but the wine kept in his treasury was too precious to be wasted even on his temper. Better that it be drunk to celebrate his inevitable triumph.

All the while his thoughts stayed on that mongrel bitch who'd dared defy his judgment, actively-resisting her just sentence, and even compounding her crimes with yet another crime. First, her original crime, daring to call the king with a contemptuous name of no worth.

Second and third, her defiance of his judgment and resisting its implementation.

And then, her final crime: to summon and command a mad dog who was a greater insult than offered by most others who usurped the title of 'hero' without his approval. Said mad dog then just happened to be so like its mistress, defying his judgment and resisting its punishment…

…and worse, not only did the mad dog dare lay its filthy and unworthy paws on the king's treasures, it defiled them and turned them against their true and only owner!

The thought made Archer's blood boil, as it rightly should. Even more so, as he could have enforced his judgment in but a few moments more. How could he not?

He was the King of Heroes, the Master of Mankind, Lord of the Earth and all that dwell upon it and all of its treasures. He killed the giant Humbaba. He felled the Cedar Forest, and traversed the world in pursuit of immortality.

He was the first hero, and the greatest, in whose footsteps men should follow, who alone held the right to judge who should stand in his shadow, and whose legend alone would echo through the ages, when others were ground to dust and lost to the sands of time.

He was _Gilgamesh_ , King of Uruk of brick and bronze, palest shadow of her king's glory.

His judgment could have been enforced then and there, and should have been, had not it been for the intervention of his uninteresting bore of a 'Master'. He could and should have killed him for it, but alas, the man had invoked one of three favors that Archer had bestowed upon him at his coming. Archer was the king after all, and the king's word held true for all, even the king himself.

And so, by virtue of that same favor, Archer generously and most magnanimously spared Tokiomi's life where it should be forfeit.

So now, the King of Heroes brooded on a pale imitation of a throne, drinking cheap wine in a effort to calm himself…

…and gazing into the snaking paths of the future-present and past-present.

Such was his power: Sha Nagba Imuru, the Omniscient and Omnipotent Star.

 _The chamber was dark._

 _It was buried deep beneath the earth, and the air was still and dank, heavy with the stench of filth, pain, blood, and death._

 _Grime-darkened chains held aloft a chain from the ceiling, while shadows clung deeply to the niches carved into the walls. Worms writhed on the floor in great and heaving masses, disgusting things with appearances that aped a man's phallus, long and tubular with a bulbous head split by fanged maws, and ending opposite with two rounded protrusions._

 _A rough stairway was carved into the wall of the chamber, leading down from a landing above, behind which a pair of great doors were sealed imposingly shut. A stooped…man, stood on the landing, his skin grey and wrinkled with age, his eyes black and inhuman._

Archer narrowed his eyes, and followed the paths of the past-present. And what he saw filled him with rage.

 _A tall man with violet hair and eyes stood on the same landing, overlooking the same chamber, writhing with worms. The man looked sad, contemplative, but determined, and then taking a deep breath, said a single word._

 _"Justeaze…"_

 _And with that, he cast himself off the landing, and fell amidst the worms which swarmed on him in a frenzy. The masses heaved as they tore at the man amidst them, blood trickling and mixing with the slime that coated their bodies, until eventually an arm burst out, skin and flesh torn and ragged, pale bone exposed amidst the bloody ruin, and then, its fingers curling into a despairing claw, sank into the heaving filth._

 _The filth heaved for several more minutes, and then shifted, the worms seeming to unnaturally merge seamlessly with each other, taking on a single, coherent form, until finally the man they had consumed sat naked amidst the remaining worms, which clipped their fangs questioningly in his direction._

 _"For you, Justeaze…" Zouken Matou whispered, hand covering an eye. "Always for you…"_

Glass shattered in Archer's hand in fury. Did mongrels have no shame? No sense of pride in what they were? No matter how degraded the species had become, Humans were still Humans!

The perfect race, superior in every way to the beasts which walked the earth, the birds which flew in the sky, and the fishes which swam in the sea. Even the gods that once ruled over all of creation were nothing compared to Humanity!

Did not the fact that the gods were dead and gone when man lived on, and stood on the brink of a great crossroads that could lead to the stars themselves prove it?

Humans alone were worthy to rule creation, just as he alone was worthy to rule over them!

And this…no, mongrel was too good for him... _plague_ threw away his Humanity as though it was nothing? For what?

Again, the past-present shifted in Archer's eyes.

 _A woman with pale skin and red eyes sat on a chair, looking out the windows at the snow falling outside. She blinked at another's approach, and turned to see the same man from before. "Makiri," she said, and the man nodded._

 _"Justeaze," she said._

Archer's rage spiked, but it was cold.

A doll.

A worthless, pathetic doll, a clown's parodying mockery of the perfect Human form.

That was it.

All for a doll, that plague had thrown away his Humanity to become nothing more than a walking worm.

Archer narrowed his eyes, sitting back on his throne as he resolved to find this 'Zouken Matou' and show it the error of its ways. Such an…insult, to Humanity itself could not be allowed to stand.

Once again, the King of Heroes turned his thought to the origins of the criminal known as 'Sakura Matou'.

 _The black-eyed worm held a terrified girl at his side, blue eyes wide with fear. She tried to step back and away, only to be held firmly in place by the worm, which tightened its grip._

 _"G-grandfather, you're hurting me!"_

 _The worm turned to the girl, and shifted its grip, moving its hand to her arm, and holding tight drew the horrified girl back as though about to throw her down into the pit. Her mouth fell open as though to scream, struggling vainly against the grip on her arm, which moved to cast her forward…_

 _A pale hand firmly grabbed the worm's wrist, and holding it firmly arrested the throwing motion._

 _In the next moment, the pale hand tightened its grip, forcing the worm to release the girl, who tearfully and fearfully scrambled back against the wall. Meanwhile, the outraged-looking worm was pulled around, another pale hand rising to cup its chin as the worm's expression turned to frozen disbelief._

 _There, standing behind him, seemingly having appeared out of nowhere, were a man and a woman. The woman was tall, golden hair matching her pale complexion and white, short-sleeved, ankle-length dress. She wore a small, smugly-satisfied, amused even, smile on her face, matching her half-closed, mismatched blue and red eyes._

 _For his part, the man was of average height, if leaning to the taller end. Like the woman he was blonde, albeit of a platinum shade. Pale blue eyes looked out through a pair of spectacles, and unlike his companion, the man wore clothes of darker shades: an ankle-length cloak in red and with a cowl, gold braid looping diagonally around the man's right side. Beneath it, he wore a black, double button-down trench coat belted at the waist with an ornamental buckle, and matching trousers and boots beneath._

 _He stared down at the quietly sobbing child, and then looked out at the worms beneath, eyes narrowing in disgust. "Looks like we made it just in time, Louisa." He observed._

 _"Hmm," the woman – Louisa – hummed. "It seems we did, Walther."_

 _"Couldn't we have arrived sooner? It would certainly have traumatized her less."_

 _"Maybe," Louisa said. "But, it makes for a good lesson, doesn't it?"_

 _"Lesson?"_

 _"Freedom is not something given." Louisa replied. "It's something you win, and you must protect. You know that quite well, don't you?"_

 _Walther closed his eyes for a long moment, a veiled expression of pain and hatred appearing on his face. And then it vanished, and Walther opened his eyes with a nod. "So I do." He said, before turning to the girl._

Archer narrowed his eyes, frustration and curiosity building in his mind. No matter how hard he looked, he _couldn't_ see in the past-present of the two, be it man or woman. It was almost as if they started to exist in that moment, which simply was not possible.

And neither was it possible that he couldn't _see_ something.

He was Gilgamesh! He was the King of Heroes! His sight and comprehension spanned the corners of the Earth! Even time and space were as nothing to him! This was inconceivable!

Forcing down the urge to do something as… _common_ , as grind his teeth, Archer forced himself to keep watching.

 _Walther smiled soothingly as he knelt down before the girl. "Hello there," he said. "My name is Walther. Walther von Hipper…what's yours?"_

 _The girl sniffled a bit before wiping at her eyes and looking up at Walther. "S-S-Sakura," she stammered out. "S-Sakura To-Matou…I'm Sakura M-Matou."_

 _"Sakura Matou…is it?" Walther echoed, and the girl nodded. "Do you want to leave? Do you want to go home?"_

 _The girl lowered her face, and sniffling, shook her head. "I…this is home." She whispered._

 _Walther looked surprised, and then sad. "You don't really mean that, do you?" he asked._

 _Sakura shook her head. "I…this is home." She repeated. "Fa-Mister Tohsaka, sent me here. H-he said this was my family now. This is my home now."_

 _"But you don't want to go home?"_

 _Sakura didn't answer immediately, just sniffling in the dark. And then wiping her eyes, she looked back up at Walther. "They didn't want me." She said._

 _Walther sadly looked away at that, and sighing, turned back to Sakura with a smile. "Well then," he said. "Do you want to go home with me? I won't force you if you don't want to, but I'll get you away from this place at least. It's not a very good place to be, is it?"_

 _Sakura sniffled and shook her head. But even so…_

 _"I…Mister Tohsaka…g-grandfather said this was home now."_

 _"Do you think it is?" Walther asked gently, but Sakura didn't say anything, just looking down and continuing to sniffle._

 _"But," Walter continued after a few moments. "Do you think it is?"_

 _Sakura sniffled for a few more moments before giving an answer. "B-but…I…I don't have anywhere else to go…" she stammered out before beginning to cry._

 _Sighing and shaking his head, Walther reached forward and pulled the crying girl closer. "There, there," he said softly, patting and rubbing her back for the few minutes it took the girl to cry her heart out. "Better?"_

 _The girl didn't answer, just sniffling in the dark. "If you don't want to stay here," Walther continued. "And you don't have anywhere else to go, do you want to come with me?"_

 _Sakura sniffled a couple more times before shakily looking up. "W-will you…" she coughed. "Will you keep me safe? Or will you…"_

 _Words failed the girl, who backed away against the wall, staring in terror at the space beyond the landing, and the worms beyond. Walther's eyes hardened, and he looked with loathing in the same direction for several moments. "No," he said. "I never could do something like that. I'm not like them."_

 _Sakura looked at him in silence, and after a moment Walther turned back to her with a smile. "As for keeping you safe," he said before getting to his feet. "I can do better: I can teach you to protect yourself."_

 _Sakura's bloodshot eyes widened, and Walther extended a hand to her. "It's your choice," he said. "Just as it should be."_

 _The moments stretched, and slowly, hesitantly, Sakura reached forward, and took the man's hand. Walther tightened his grip slightly, and then gently but firmly pulling the girl to himself, picked her up and held her safely against his chest._

 _"Let's get out of here." He told Louisa. "I've seen magatsuhi factories before that are preferable to this cesspool."_

 _"Hmm," Louisa said with a tilt of her head. "Perhaps,"_

 _And then, moving her hand down from its chin to the worm's chest, Louisa **pushed**. The worm fell backward, off the landing, white wisps seemingly trailing from its body as it fell through the air. "Shush…" Walter said, turning Sakura – looking over his shoulder – away from the sight. "Look away, Sakura. Look away."_

 _Zouken Matou's skin shriveled as the flesh beneath dried and crumbled away, black eyes shriveling up and leaving empty eye sockets behind. Dry skin clung to increasingly brittle bone, until only a skeleton was left to strike the stone floor beneath, breaking into many small fragments and disturbing the stone-dry and lifeless powder that were once masses of worms. And even then the decay didn't stop there, the white wisps never vanishing until the only thing that was left of Zouken Matou were the crumbling and faded remains of its kimono._

 _"Yes," Louisa said, turning away from the empty space to open a… **tear** , in the fabric of reality itself, through which shone light in a million shades imaginable and millions more that would have been torn the minds of lesser men asunder. "Let us go. There is nothing left for us here."_

 _Walther nodded, and holding Sakura tightly to himself stepped into the tear. Louisa made to follow, only to pause at its threshold._

 _And then turning her head, she **looked** into Archer's eyes, and smiled._

 ** _Hello, King of Heroes. Or should I say, his echo…_**

Archer's head snapped back as though struck, darkness falling across Sha Nagba Imuru's vision. He felt liquid trickle down from nose, and dabbing at his face stared at the blood flowing from his nose. Archer stared in disbelief, and then narrowing his eyes, clenched his fists in building, icy anger.

 _I will know you. I will find you. And I will have you, mongrel bitch._

 _You have dared mock me as an echo. You have dared darken my vision. And you have dared spill my blood._

 _Death is a mercy you do not deserve, but it is the only fitting sentence for your crimes._

 _So say I, Gilgamesh, King of Uruk and of Heroes, Master of Mankind, Lord of All the World and all things that exist and dwell upon it._

Wiping at his nose yet again, Archer forced Sha Nagba Imuru's vision open once more, this time following the threads of the past-present. Like 'Lousa' and 'Walther', Sakura Matou's past was veiled to him between her involvement with those two and her appearance the previous night…but what of _before_ her involvement with Louisa and Walther?

And Sha Nagma Imuru gave an answer.

 _Cherry blossoms flew in the breeze, dancing in the wind before the Tohsaka mansion. Tokiomi Tohsaka waved sadly at Sakura, as she was led away to a waiting car, the worm smiling through a window while men in black suits and glasses looked on._

 _The girl looked back, and closing her eyes, cried out for her family…_

The rest of the vision was clouded as Archer rose to his feet, chest heaving and eyes blazing with fury, the identity of the criminal revealed to him.

" **TOKIOMI!** "

* * *

A/N

Man, Tokiomi really is in hot water, isn't he?

And Gil really is full of himself, isn't he? I mean, does he really think he can do anything against a being that can sense him looking across time and space, and more than that, actually speak to him in real-time and even _cloud_ his vision? Kudos to him for forcing Sha Nagba Imuru back into activity, but seriously, Gil? I thought your instincts are sharper than that.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Chapter 5

The first indication Tokiomi had that something had gone terribly wrong – well, more wrong than they already were – was a staggering (literally) amount of rage filtering through his link with the King of Heroes. Naturally, anything that angered the titan that was the King of Heroes was a cause for concern, but even in his current state Tokiomi was never the sort to act without thinking.

And while he would do nothing – in most cases – should the King of Heroes take action against whatever it was that had angered him, Tokiomi could, however, consider what was to be done next, and the surrounding circumstances. Curiously enough, the Tohsaka bounded fields did not register any cause for concern. Had they been infiltrated, somehow?

Strangely (or not), it never occurred to Tokiomi that he was the cause of the King of Heroes' rage.

Tokiomi was therefore caught completely by surprise when the door to his workshop was literally blown apart, the bounded fields protecting the Tohsaka workshop fizzling out against impossibly-strong magic resistance. Tokiomi barely had time to get off his seat before he found himself suspended in the air, god-forged chains firmly bound around his wrists, ankles, torso, neck, and chin.

"Tokiomi," Archer hissed as he stepped into the Tohsaka workshop, resplendent in his golden plate. "You have much to answer for, mongrel dog."

"Your Majesty, I do not understand. How have I…"

Archer cut the panicking magus off with a scoff. "You do not understand?" Archer asked mockingly. "Do you really think you can pretend ignorance, and use such as an excuse to avoid taking responsibility? Such hubris! To think that one can fool the king's justice so! Truly, like father like daughter you are!"

"But I…"

"Silence!" Archer roared. Gesturing, he summoned a gleaming mirror from the Gate of Babylon, which suspended itself in the air before Tokiomi. "Behold, the proof of your guilt."

The mirror flickered, the glass rippling like water, and then it showed to Tokiomi what Archer had seen. Tokiomi's eyes widened in recognition as he saw Zouken and Sakura, and then his mouth dropped open in horror as he saw the nest of blood worms they stood on the threshold of. "No," he whispered, as he saw Zouken begin to manhandle his daughter, as though to throw her into the nest. "This can't be…why? He said…he said she would be…h-he lied? B-but why? Sakura's potential…Matou's legacy…she should be…no, no, no…Sakura…I'm sorry…no, don't do it…Sakura…!"

Tokiomi's shocked and horrified stammering came to a halt as Walther and Louisa appeared, the latter transfixing Zouken and the former comforting and quickly befriending Sakura. Were it not for the chain binding his chin, Tokiomi's head would have dropped in relief, and as it was, the magus slumped in his chains in relief that his daughter was saved from being fed to the blood worms.

"Now, do you understand, mongrel?" Archer hissed, pacing dangerously before Tokiomi. "Do you understand your crimes?"

"C-crimes?" Tokiomi echoed, before his expression briefly turned downcast and crestfallen. And then seeming to understand, he spoke up. "I…I…I understand I did my daughter a great wrong."

"Your daughter?" Archer echoed in surprise, something lost on the heartbroken man.

"Sakura…" Tokiomi whispered. "She should have…I…I believed that for her sake, both to protect her and for her to reach her full potential…I chose to sever the bond of family that existed between us, and to allow someone else to take her in. However, I was lied to…deceived! Sakura…she should have been heir to their legacy! Instead…instead…h-he…that monster…that monster would have…!"

"SILENCE!" Archer roared, and silencing Tokiomi who relieved himself in shock and terror. "You think I care for your ramblings, mongrel? Your delusions of grandeur and greatness? Your excuses? I do not! You are a clown, mongrel. A fool who plays with things you do not truly understand, who stands on the shoulders of giants to take the fruit that is not yours to take! Your precious legacy, and that of those you keep company with, are a joke in poor taste, and cheap entertainment at best. And neither do I care for your mongrel daughter, save that she has dared to mock me, to keep company with those who likewise mock the king, to defy justice for her crimes, and to further compound them with yet more crimes! And so like a fool, I ask again, do you understand?"

"Pardon, King of Heroes, but I do not…!"

The chain binding Tokiomi's neck and chin loosened, and in the next moment the magus barely held back a scream as the angry Archer backhanded him hard enough to shatter his jaw. "You still do not understand?" Archer thundered. "Are you truly that weak-minded? That short-sighted? Or do you simply not wish to understand?"

"I DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDNNNNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTTTTT NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOO!"

That brought Archer up to a halt, and narrowing his eyes the King of Heroes stared silent and unmoving at Tokiomi. The broken magus hung slumped in his chains, sobbing and mumbling apologies, whether to Archer or to his daughter it was unclear. "First," Archer began after several long moments. "Enabling the rise – one way or another – of the criminal known as Sakura Matou. Second, acting as accomplice to the worm once known as Zouken Matou, accused and convicted in _absentia_ of crimes against Humanity itself."

The mirror again floated in front of Tokiomi's face, and flickering showed him Zouken's willful and deliberate abandonment of his Humanity. Tokiomi's wet and bloodshot eyes briefly widened at sight, and bloodstained lips moved ever so slightly.

"It seems in this case your intellect and sense of reason were too…limited, to grasp at the time that your actions were criminal." Archer said. "However, ignorance is no excuse. The king's servants _should_ know better, after all. That said, I have yet use for you. Swift and just punishment there must be, but mercy is called for in this case as well. Know therefore, the all-encompassing expanse of the king's law, the unflinching weight of his justice, and the infiniteness of his kindness and mercy."

Archer made a dismissing gesture, and the chains vanished back into the Gate of Babylon…and with a flash of metal, a trio of blades pierced Tokiomi and flung him across the workshop against the far wall, down which he slid leaving a crimson smear behind. "Prove yourself to me, Tokiomi." Archer said as he made to leave. "Prove to me that you are worthy of life, of continued service to the king, and of his love and forgiveness."

With that, Archer departed, leaving Tokiomi alone in grief, agony, and despair.

* * *

The following morning was cool with a slightly-cloudy sky. In her rental apartment, Sakura hummed to herself while grating cheese and as sliced spam sizzled on an oiled pan on the stove. Done with the cheese, Sakura put the grater in the sink before rinsing her hands, and after wiping them dry with a cloth whisked the cheese into the egg mash.

Turning the spam, Sakura then took another pan, and placed it on another burner. While waiting for the pan to heat up, Sakura transferred the cooked spam to a platter, and placed more slices on the pan. A dash of oil was added to the second pan, and while it was heating up Sakura whisked the cheese and egg mash some more before pouring it with a hiss onto the second pan.

Meanwhile, in the living room Pixie sat on the coffee table, legs waving back and forth as she watched some anime, currently on a Japanized version of Little Red Riding Hood (who was a magical girl in this interpretation of all things). "Orange juice or water!" Sakura shouted from the kitchen.

"Orange juice!" Pixie shouted back.

"Okay!"

Sakura continued to cook and prepare breakfast, having woken up early to go to the supermarket while Pixie slept-in at the apartment. The fairy only woke up when Sakura had arrived, and after chatting a bit about Sakura's trip had left the girl to her work in the kitchen.

"Breakfast is ready!" Sakura said while placing the rice pot on the table, and then taking the remote changed to the news channel.

"Hey!"

"Come on, it's breakfast time." Sakura said with a roll of her eyes. "And while we'll only be in this world a couple of weeks let me have some idea of what's going on…from their perspective."

"But I was watching something!"

"And you can watch again…after breakfast."

Grumbling to herself, Pixie flew over to the kitchen, where Sakura served her some rice. "Again," Sakura began. "Sorry if it's largely canned food, but I took longer than expected while heading out."

"It's alright." Pixie said, digging into her breakfast. "Better than having to wait hungry while you cook something healthier and tastier than canned food. Not that this isn't delicious in any way."

Sakura nodded, and picking up her chopsticks and rice bowl began to eat breakfast as well. The two ate in silence for several minutes, the news largely heard only in passing in the background, none of which elicited more than brief interest. Until that is, the mention of a number of children having been kidnapped in the night, in the latest of a string of several such abductions over the previous days.

At the news, both Sakura and Pixie turned towards the TV in the living room, watching the segment to the end. "Hmm…kids being kidnapped just as supernatural shit starts coming down in this city." Sakura said while resting her head against an elbow. "If that doesn't sound suspicious, I don't know what does."

"You think they're using the kids in some kind of ritual?"

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest in thought, and nodded slowly after several moments. "They could," she said. "Though it's also possible it's just some kind of child slavery ring or something. But…if it is, then they're not very subtle about it."

"Point," Pixie agreed before eating a mouthful. "And? What do you plan to do about it?"

Sakura sighed unhappily. "Nothing," she said, grumpily returning to her breakfast. "Everyone has the freedom to do their thing in Chaos. I go my way, and you go yours, and even if we don't agree on which way to go so long as we don't cross paths, neither of us should mess with how the other wants to roll. Heh…well, no one said Chaos was perfect…"

Sakura trailed off, tearing into her breakfast in frustrated disgust, though her eyes stayed unflinching. Dislike as she might its darker aspects, Sakura believed in Chaos, and accepted it as the only path that would allow her to live her life as she wanted to.

 _I will never be like a kitten to be given away and forgotten ever again._

 _I will never be helpless in the dark ever again._

 _Never again._

Pixie sighed at the ruined mood, and returned to her breakfast. They ate in silence, and only when they'd finished did Pixie decide to speak up. "So," she said as Sakura soaked the dirty dishes and utensils in soap and water at the sink. "What do we do today?"

"Hmm?" Sakura hummed questioningly. "Oh right…well, this morning I want to finish marking down the other Masters' hideouts. We already know where Archer and the old man are, and the same goes for Saber and Einzbern. Lancer and his Master we also know, that rooftop retreat of theirs is rather conscpicious…"

"To be fair," Pixie wryly noted. "Miss Lilith and other executives of the Cypher Group back home all tend to have 'rooftop retreats' as you put it. I also remember you mentioning in the past that you want to have a place like that of your own in the future."

Sakura coughed, her cheeks pink. "I…you have a point." She muttered, and Pixie grinned. "Still, that leaves Rider, Caster, Assassin, and their Masters unaccounted for. The last two are going to be a pain in the ass to find. Damn it…I should have finished Assassin off for good last night…"

"Assassin, huh?" Pixie started. "Interesting ability, to be able to divide his consciousness into several bodies, all of which are independent yet part of one greater whole."

"Um…demons, do that. All the time. That's what avatars are." Sakura pointed out. "Not too interesting when you think about it."

"Only powerful demons do that." Pixie countered. "I'm me. Same goes for all my sisters."

"Point, I guess."

"And then?" Pixie continued. "Assuming we finish this morning, and from the sound of things, we won't, then what?"

"Even if we don't finish by morning's end," Sakura said. "I want to do something…less serious, for the afternoon."

"Oh?"

Sakura turned to Pixie with a small smile. "Tell me," she said. "How does playing tricks on an elementary school girl sound to you?"

Pixie's grin was all the answer that was needed.

* * *

Risei Kotomine had thought himself mentally prepared to oversee the Fourth Holy Grail War. He had prepared himself for greedy and uncivilized magi throwing aside every veneer and semblance of civility in pursuit of the Holy Grail, and to chastise and if necessary, _leash_ them in order to prevent a repeat of the pointless bloodshed and destruction that had characterized the Third Holy Grail War fifty years ago.

Politically-speaking as well, he had the responsibility of preserving the Church's face in his role. It had been the Church who had pushed for an overseer to maintain proper conduct during the Grail wars, citing first the chaos of the Third Holy Grail War as reason for the necessity, and then their own lack of interest in the Grail (it was an open secret that the Grail of Fuyuki was a fake after all) and its nature as a supposed holy artefact for the Church to be granted the role of the Overseer.

If he – and the Church – failed in this task, then it'd result in nothing less than an enormous loss of face. It might even mean the loss of their possession of the post of Overseer. Unlikely, as there were few if any with the same credentials among them, but it was possible.

Ultimately though, Risei hoped and would work to achieve to make sure the Fourth Holy Grail War was the last.

The Church, through their secret alliance with the Tohsaka (dating back to the days when the clan had been secret Christians during Japan's seclusion from the world under the Tokugawa Shogunate), knew of the true purpose of the Greater Grail. Not as a means to grant wishes, but to open up a path leading beyond the World, and to the Root itself.

It was a goal supposedly sought by all magi, though in practice it was only a formal goal for them. A convenient excuse, when it truth they'd given up on it, and something they used to cover up their true goal of increasing their individual or their families' power and prestige.

More to the point, however, was that using the Greater Grail to reach the Root was a goal that the Church could get behind. Indeed, one reason they had not – and would not – admitted for seeking the post of Overseer was to prevent the Greater Grail from being used to alter the World. The very potential of the Greater Grail to do such would normally warrant the Grail's destruction, but given the interest of too many – and many among those well-connected in the Association hierarchy – individuals of note in the Grail over the decades meant that the Church had to settle for the next best thing.

In this case, secretly supporting the Tohsaka in winning the Grail wars of Fuyuki, and thus completing the Grail's true purpose. That done, the Grail's path to the Root would be closed, expending the Grail, ending the Grail wars, and achieving the Church's goal of keeping its power from being used to alter the World.

Win-win.

But, it was easier said than done, of course. Just opening a path to the Root was not enough, one had to reach it to permanently close the path. And even winning the war was a big enough challenge as it was.

Still, having attained the post of the Overseer, perhaps more support could be given – if still covertly – to the Tohsaka, in order to achieve their mutual goals. Unfortunately, supporting the Tohsaka turned out to be more complicated than expected.

"That's impossible." The old priest told the dejected magus sitting in his living room.

"It's not impossible." Tokiomi muttered.

"But how?" Risei pressed. "How can a girl of five suddenly be in her thirties in just one year? Surely you can see how…inconceivable, such a turn of things is!"

"Is it?" Tokiomi countered. "Remember: magecraft is all about replicating _miracles_. Granted, it's more complicated than that, and it's likely that Sakura…what happened to her…how she was saved…"

Tokiomi trailed off, and looked away for several moments. "It…" he began. "Yes, I don't doubt it. It was a true miracle. Something that should be utterly impossible, and still happened. _A miracle_ – True Magic, Sorcery, though which of the Five it was I do not know."

Risei shook his head in disbelief. "There's no proof of that." He said. "Nothing but your Servant's word. The same Servant that assaulted you, and nearly killed you. Can you really take him at his word?"

"Archer…the King of Heroes…" Tokiomi murmured. "He would not have acted such unless he was utterly convinced it was the truth. And I know it was. That is the power of his Noble Phantasm, Sha Nagba Imuru, which grants him effective omniscience."

Risei shook his head again before crossing himself. "God preserve us from such heresies." He said.

"You are of course free to believe that omniscience is the province of God and God alone." Tokiomi said. "But as a magus and as a Master, I must accept a Noble Phantasm's power at face value."

"But…"

Tokiomi sighed. "In any case," he said. "I came expecting to be disappointed by your inability to believe my claims. Indeed, if someone were to walk up to me before Archer's outburst last night and told me what I just told you, I would have dismissed them as mad. But, in the face of his rage, a rage I knew to be true, and what I know of my Servant, I _know_ what I saw was the truth."

"Then why?" Risei said before pausing to gather his thoughts. "Why did you come here? If you did not expect my acceptance of your claims, what assistance do you wish for the Church to render you to the best of its ability?"

Tokiomi's hands shook, and after a moment he clenched them tightly. "Sakura…Sakura…I did her a great wrong." Tokiomi mournfully forced out. "No…the reason wasn't wrong. I did what I thought best, and my intentions weren't wrong! They just weren't."

Risei looked at Tokiomi with compassion. "Oh Tokiomi," he said gently. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

"I know. I know!" Tokiomi spat out with self-loathing. "I…I could have done better. I could have chosen better! I should have made certain that whichever family I entrusted my daughter and her future to would have treated her properly, would have given her everything she deserved and more…but instead…I…I…"

Tokiomi heaved a dry sob. "I failed her." He whispered. "I failed her as a father. I failed her as a magus. I completely failed her!"

Risei stood silent, waiting as Tokiomi pulled himself together. "I allowed…I allowed my pride to blind me." He whispered. "I thought…I thought that such was the greatness in our blood, the future glories our lineage properly-harnessed could bring about, that none would dare mistreat her, to waste what potential she had…but…I…I was wrong…so very wrong…"

Risei met Tokiomi's wet and desperate eyes, and with a compassionate smile he placed a reassuring hand on the broken magus' shoulder. "He who admits his sin," he said gently. "Has no sin."

Tokiomi jerkily lowered his head, and patting Tokiomi's shoulder a few times Risei withdrew his hand. "You wish for a chance to set things right, do you not?" he asked.

"Yes." Tokiomi softly said. "I will not ask you to mediate between us, for there is no mediating my failure to the one I failed. My own flesh and blood, born of my soul…I…I have to do it alone. I must…admit my mistakes to her, the wrong I did her, and set things right, somehow. But…"

"You fear that she will reject you." Risei said sadly. "That she will hate you for what you did during the previous year."

Tokiomi lowered his head again. "Y-yes." He whispered. "I…I'm a-afraid of it. Especially since…since I deserve it all! But, I have to try! Even if she spits her hatred at me, and throws my sins into my face…I have to try at least! To set things right! She deserves that much…"

Tokiomi trailed off, the magus reduced to quiet sobs, and Risei sighed before patting the broken man on a shoulder. Truth be told, he still doubted that the Sakura Matou who commanded the Berserker was the same one born of the Tohsaka, but seeing Tokiomi's despair…

" _If it is her,_ " Risei thought. " _As impossible as it might sound, then things **need** to be set right. Even more so, as if it is her, then the fate that awaited her at Matou's hand as shown by Archer's visions would likewise likely be true. And if it isn't her…well, either way it should bring Tokiomi back to his senses. I hope._"

Risei sighed again, before looking at the small crucifix attached to the wall. " _And in any case,_ " he thought. " _Above and beyond any other consideration, I must help this poor man find peace. As a servant of the Lord, that should be my first consideration. Always._ "

Risei nodded, and sinking down to one knee looked at Tokiomi in the eye. "I will have to arrange things to avoid making it look too suspicious," he began. "But, I will give you any help I can, to set things right. This I promise you."

Tokiomi swallowed, and jerkily nodded his head.

"Thank you."

* * *

It started out innocently enough, and would continue so to the climax.

During lunch time, attempts by Rin and her circle of friends to eat were repeatedly frustrated, as every time they took a serving from their lunchboxes, food would inexplicably disappear from their chopsticks to return, untouched back in their lunchboxes. Again and again this happened, until Rin was positively fuming and one of her friends outright crying.

Then, during the first class after lunch, no one could open their textbooks or notebooks, all attempts at prying them open – even with reinforcement on Rin's part – failing, almost as if the leaves and covers of the materials were superglued together. It was only at the very end of the class that they finally managed to open them, much to the teacher's frustration.

The students might have been more thankful though, had they not spent the previous class struggling and burning through their tempers to open their books and notebooks.

The next class was supposed to have an exam. And just as the teacher finished distributing the exam papers, cue a strong wind to start blowing through the open windows, and sending the papers flying. But just as they were finished gathering the papers and had them redistributed, the wind rose up again.

You get the picture.

Eventually the windows were simply closed…only for the exam papers to inexplicably go blank.

The exasperated teacher had gone to photocopy more exam papers from her master copy…only for the sprinklers in the photocopy room to inexplicably turn on, drenching the room. Sadly (or not), the master copy was destroyed, and the photocopy machine with it.

"I get the feeling someone's messing with us." Rin grouched as she and her friends left school for the day.

"No way," Ayame said. "I mean…the water in the Xerox room yes, but the wind and the paper going blank…"

"Or the food keeping on disappearing." Shizune pointed.

"What about the books that couldn't be opened?" Michiko asked.

"C-could it be a g-g-ghost?" Shizune stammered out.

Rin hoped not. One of the first things her father had taught her was that not just magic, but any suggestion that the supernatural actually existed was to be kept secret or completely unbelievable to ordinary people. As far as they were concerned, magic and things like it belonged to stories and fairy tales, and that was how it should be.

And as a magus, it was her duty to make sure it stayed that way.

 _If it is a ghost though, I can take care of it myself. Father will be so proud!_

"Well, look on the bright side." Natsumi said cheerfully, as the discussion on a ghost being the cause behind the afternoon's 'adventures' came to an end. "At least we have more time to study for Nanatsu-sensei's test."

"That's true."

"I guess so."

"Still," Michiko murmured. "I do wish the ghost didn't make it so hard for us as well. Spending an hour trying to open our book and notebooks wasn't nice at all."

"Yeah," Ayame said, rubbing at an eye. "And at lunch too, I really wanted to taste grandma's _gyuudon_ but because of the ghost…"

The girl trailed off as she began to cry, and promptly began to be comforted by her friends. "Don't worry," Rin said. "The ghost eventually stopped, and I'm sure it'll be gone by tomorrow."

"You sure?"

"Well, I hope it will."

 _I'll make sure of it…somehow._

"Maybe I will or maybe I won't." a new voice cut in, causing Rin and the rest of the girls to jump. "But…maybe…yeah, I think I was too mean earlier. Don't worry, I'll ease back in the future."

"Who said that?"

"I don't see anybody!"

"There's nobody else here!"

"I-it's the g-g-ghost!"

"Hey!" the voice protested. "I'm no ghost! I'm a fairy! Up here, kids!"

A thrown nut drew their attention, and the girls gasped at the sight of a little, redheaded figure in skimpy, violet clothes with fairy wings on her back, sitting on a tree branch. The fairy smiled and waved at them. "Hi!" she said.

"Oh my gods!"

"It's a fairy!"

"I don't believe it! Fairies are real!"

The girls all chattered in awe and excitement, the fairy just basking in it. Except for one girl. Rin had gone white as a sheet, at what had just happened.

 _OH NO!_

* * *

A/N

Yes, the 'crimes' levelled by Archer at Tokiomi are rather spurious for the most part aren't they? Then again, this is the guy whose idea of 'love' is to rape a woman and then discard her since she's no longer pure and thus unworthy of him.

The darker side of Chaos also rears its head in this chapter, though it shouldn't be too surprising. Chaos _is_ the grimy reflection of Law after all, just as Law is its shining reflection.

Tokiomi broken…eh, you be the judge of that. Personally, I think that just like Rin and Sakura had breaking points as shown in the VN, Tokiomi had too, specifically when the contradiction between Tokiomi the Magus and Tokiomi the Family Man becomes too much.

And poor Rin…or not, since she gets to meet her new 'big sister' soon. Let's see how she enjoys being the little sister for a change, yes?


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Chapter 6

"Where are we going?" Rin asked, as she and her friends followed Pixie, who was slowly flying ahead of them down the street. Which, thankfully enough, was empty on this side, as it meant less witnesses than there already were to an actual fairy flying around in plain sight.

Normally, Rin would have altered the memories of her friends and given the fairy a talk on how supernatural things were supposed to be secret. Except of course…it was a _fairy_. Even magi had to step lightly around beings like them, and if a fairy decided to show itself to her and her friends and fly around in public without a care for, well, how things were supposed to be secret, there had to be a good reason for it.

"I told you," Pixie replied, not even looking back. "We're going to see a friend. Don't worry, she won't hurt you, and neither will I."

"I…see…" Rin murmured before glancing at her friends cheerfully following beside her. "And…my friends? You know…things like well…magic, and beings like you…are supposed to be secret…so…"

Pixie snorted and began to laugh. "Oh right," she said. "I forgot about that. The whole 'keeping the supernatural secret from ordinary people' rule that's a thing in this timeline. Well you see kid…I don't care about that. It doesn't affect me, after all."

Rin gasped in shock at such selfish carelessness. "Rin-chan," one of her friends asked. "What does she mean by that?"

Rin looked at her friends guiltily and uncomfortably. "I…I'll explain later." She said. "I promise."

Shizune didn't look reassured, but nodded at Rin after looking at their other friends. Rin nodded back, and then turned back to Pixie. "That's so irresponsible!" she snapped.

Pixie looked at her curiously. "You're expecting one of the Fair Folk to be responsible? Really?" she asked. "Um…you do know what we're known for in fairy tales and legend, right?"

"The Lady of the Lake was quite responsible."

"…that's a very good point." Pixie conceded after a moment, and Rin grinned. "But I'm not the lady. Besides, father doesn't mind us playing tricks, and neither does mother to be honest, though she does say we should be less hurtful come to think of it."

"Father and mother?" Rin asked in confusion. "Wait, what? You have parents?"

"Of course I do." Pixie said with a roll of her eyes. "Father is Oberon the Fairy King, and mother is Titania the Fairy Queen. Don't you know that, little magus?"

"No." Rin said.

"Wait, magus?" Ayame echoed. "Rin-chan, are you a magician?"

Rin didn't answer, but she glared, scandalized at the fairy, who grinned evilly and stuck her tongue out. Rin palmed her face and looking at her friends held up her hands in a placating fashion. "Look," she said. "I'll explain later, alright? There's a…reason, why I didn't you tell you girls."

"So you really are a magician?"

Rin cringed, and poking her index fingers together fidgeted for a couple of moments. "Y-yes." She finally admitted.

"Oh wow that's amazing!"

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"What kind of magic can you do?"

"Can you pull a rabbit out of a hat?"

"Can you fly?"

"I'll explain later, really!" Rin wailed, holding her head before glaring back up at Pixie. "This is all your fault!"

Pixie just stuck her tongue out again before shrugging and turning her back on Rin. "U-u-um…" Shizune began while Rin muttered to herself. "F-fairy-san…"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"I-if you just wanted to take us to meet a friend," she began. "W-why did you have to play all those tricks on us? It wasn't very n-nice you see?"

"Oh that," Pixie said before tapping her chin in thought. "Well, first of all it's fun to mess with people."

"Eh?"

"What?" Rin burst out.

Natsumi erupted in laughter. "I guess that's true!" she said. "I mean, it's not nice being the ones messed with, but the fairy's got a point. It is fun messing with people!"

"Isn't it?" Pixie gushed, turning to fly over to Natsumi. "I'm glad you understand how it's all just in good fun, so put it here girl!"

Pixie held up a hand, Natsumi met it with her own, and high-fiving the fairy. Rin palmed her face again. "Okay," she said. "That's one reason. Anymore?"

Pixie looked at her, all levity gone from her face. "You broke your promise." She said, before flying down the street.

Rin's mouth fell open in confusion, and ran after Pixie with her friends in tow. "What do you mean I broke my promise?" Rin asked as she fell into step behind Pixie, not noticing how they were drawing near a bench where a young woman was reading a magazine. "What promise? And to who? You? I don't remember meeting you before."

Pixie came to a halt, and turned to look at Rin. "You promised Sakura you'd never leave her alone." She said, and Rin gasped as her heart froze. "You promised Sakura you'd always be there for her. Instead, you didn't even say a single thing when she was given away, like a kitten, to be forgotten. No, you just smiled and went along with it, saying it was for the best."

Rin grit her teeth and clenched her fists, shock, surprise, and guilt giving way to rage. How dare this fairy judge her? What does an irresponsible… _thing_ like her know? How could they possibly understand, the pride and sacrifices of magi to understand and master the secrets of the World?

And more than that…

"How do you know about that?" she demanded. "And…and…where's Sakura? Were you the ones who took her away? Answer me, damn you!"

"Such strong language for a child," Pixie murmured. "And in the order of your questions…she told me. As for where and if we were the ones who took her away…"

Pixie paused and laughed. "You think it's funny?" Rin hissed.

"Why yes, it is funny." Pixie said. "I mean, it's not like you actually care, do you?"

"Of course I care!" Rin yelled. "She's my…!"

Words failed Rin, guilt and hypocrisy rising up to choke her and drowning out her anger. "Yeah," Pixie said, as she watched Rin lower her face in shame, guilt, and sadness. "That's what I thought."

"What was I supposed to do?" Rin whispered. "Father made his decision! He knows best, doesn't he? And Sakura was born to a magus family! She was raised knowing of the sacrifices that come with it, even if she wasn't the heir! There was nothing I could say or do!"

"Actually," Sakura said, lowering her magazine to look dryly at Rin and friends. "You could have said and done a lot of things. Wouldn't have done much good, to be honest, but it'd have been better than just smiling and nodding there like a parrot."

You could hear a pin drop in the moment that followed, and then Rin and friends screamed in surprise and jumped back. Pixie burst into laughter. "Just…!" she began, flying over with a hand raised.

"…as…" Sakura said, grinning while holding up a hand.

"…planned!" they chorused, high-fiving as Jack Frost appeared, blowing a trumpet and firing a Christmas cracker.

"W-who are you?" Rin shakily demanded, pointing a finger at Sakura.

"Why, I'm Sakura Matou of course." Sakura responded. "Long time no see, little sister."

"Liar!" Rin shouted. "You…you have the same name as her, but…but Sakura's only five! There's no way an old lady like you could be her! And I don't have a big sister! I see! I SEE! This is a trick, another trick by fairies…you're a fairy too, aren't you? I should have…!"

"Old lady…" Sakura muttered, an eyebrow twitching. Forcing her irritation down, Sakura ignored Rin's ranting and raving to pull the ribbon at her brow free, and then raising a thumb to her mouth bit down hard.

Rin fell silent at the sight, and then blinked as Sakura liberally daubed the ribbon with blood. "This ribbon is made from a jewel, isn't it?" Sakura asked, and Rin's mouth fell open. "It was one of the first you made, and you gave it to me as memento of when we were still sisters. Huh…funny that, you did do something after all…though more would have been appreciated."

"No…way…"

"Blood contains prana, if I remember right," Sakura muttered, before tossing the bloody ribbon to Rin. Rin caught it, and frantically examined it while Sakura wiped her thumb clean and healed her wound.

"No…way…" Rin gasped, looking up at Sakura with mixed relief and longing. "But how?"

Sakura smirked, and then getting up walked away. "Wait!" Rin said, running after Sakura. "How? How are you…?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, little sister?"

"Excuse me, but I'm your big sister, thank you very much!" Rin snapped.

Sakura smirked down at her. "How old are you?" she asked.

"I'm seven." Rin replied proudly.

"Congratulations," Sakura said. "I'm nineteen for your information, so where does that leave us?"

"No way!" Rin spluttered. "I was born before you! And how can you be nineteen when only a year has passed?"

"What?"

"It's called relative time, little sister." Sakura said.

"What does that mean?"

Sakura sighed. "It means," she explained. "In the world I grew up in fifteen years have passed where here only one has."

"What the…"

"Ever heard of the Kaleidoscope?" Sakura said. "It's a similar concept, Zelretch just uses a different means to travel between and across realms and timelines instead of using the Labyrinth of Amala."

"You're saying Lord Zelretch was the one who took you away? Why would he do that?"

"He didn't." Sakura said. "It was Uncle Walther and Miss Louisa who took me from Matou."

Rin scoffed. "Who are they?" she sneered. "Your kidnappers? From the sound of things, you've gotten…confused or something, thinking so fondly of your kidnappers. I know that…being sent away was hard, but Matou would have treated you well, like family even, like they promised father. So…"

Sakura lightly cuffed a stunned Rin on the back of her head. "Don't talk so lightly about things you don't understand." Sakura said.

"Y-you hit me…" Rin whispered.

"Uncle Walther was more of a father to me than the old man ever was." Sakura said. "As for Miss Louisa…she was, and is a good friend. And even if she had…selfish motives, for getting me away from that place, she was…"

Sakura trailed off at the sound of sniffling, and turning she saw Rin crying behind her. "Oh…I…" Sakura said, coming to a halt and sinking down in front of Rin. "I'm sorry…I…"

Rin sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "Do you hate me that much?" she asked. "Hate us that much?"

Sakura looked at her for a moment, and then she sighed. "Not as much as you think," she said. "But I do hate you…just a little, but I do. I admit it. And if you were in my place, you would too. How would you feel if you were treated like a kitten, to be given away and forgotten?"

"We never forgot you!" Rin shouted. "Mom cried herself to sleep for weeks, and would stare at your picture whenever she had nothing to do! I…I…"

"But you still gave me away." Sakura said, placing a hand on Rin's shoulder. "And your…father? Did he mourn at all?"

Rin sniffled, and looked down. And then, she clenched her fists, and grit her teeth.

"No. He didn't."

* * *

Sakura handed out ice cream to Rin and her friends, the young woman and the children gathered at an out of the way corner of the park. For a time, they ate in silence, and then Ayame spoke up. "Hey," she began. "Nee-chan, what do you mean you were given away?"

"Exactly that," Sakura said. "Magi families only raise one child in every generation. If they have more than one, they're either left untold about magic, or are given away to be adopted by families without children, or married off for gain of one form of another."

"But…why?"

Sakura bit into her ice cream before answering. "In this realm you live in," she said. "How powerful magic is depends on how many people know about it. Well, it's an oversimplification, but it's close enough. How to say this…the more people know about magic, the less wonderful and thus less powerful it becomes, while if less people know about it, the more wonderful and powerful it becomes."

"Oh."

"That doesn't sound fair." Natsumi grumbled.

"What doesn't?" Sakura asked.

"Magic needing to be secret," Natsumi said. "And how magi treat their children, if they have more than one.

"Who said life was fair?" Sakura answered, and Natsumi shrugged in unhappy concession. "The world is unfair…irrational, even…"

Sakura trailed off and laughed, eating more of her ice cream before eating up. "But," she said. "If that's the case, if life and the world insists on being unfair to you, then you have no obligation to be fair to it. Take what you can, and give nothing back."

Pixe snorted. "Pirates of the Caribbean?" she asked. "Really?"

"Jack Sparrow is an example to be followed." Sakura said in all seriousness. "He's crazy, and…okay, he's crazy. But he's cool."

"…I suppose…"

"Why did you come back?" Rin murmured. "Revenge?"

Sakura glanced at Rin for a long moment. "Is that what you think?" she finally asked.

"…I…I don't know what to think…"

Sakura sighed and scratched her head. "Look," she said. "I'm sorry for hitting you, alright? It's just that…you talked…badly, about Uncle Walther and Miss Louisa. Maybe from your perspective what you said was…justified, but, they're my family. Uncle Walther was the one who raised me…he was there for me when no else was. And Miss Louisa…she was a good teacher, about many things."

Sakura paused and sighed. "You can't just talk badly about other people's family when you don't know the whole story." She said.

Rin's head shot up at that. "And you're any different?" she accused.

"Am I?"

Rin blinked, and lowered her face again. "No…" she admitted in a whisper. "You're different…you…we…"

"Maybe I'm too judging of you and your mother…" Sakura conceded. "But…going along with me being given away aside…she and you…also accepted that demand by grandfather that we'd never have contact with each other…"

Sakura sighed and trailed off. "Why did you really come back?" Rin asked again.

"Business, actually," Sakura admitted. "Ahriman had something concerning him here, and he gave me the job of seeing to his concerns."

"Business?"

Sakura finished her ice cream, and tossed the empty cup into a nearby trash bin. "Done with school," she said. "So I needed a job."

"I…see…"

Sakura sighed again. "To be honest," she said. "I never planned on coming back here ever again."

"Why?"

Sakura glanced at Rin, and smiling walked closer to pat her on the head. "What's the point?" she asked, and Rin's eyes widened and then teared up. "Well, I've given you a lot to think about. So I should probably give you some space to think about it. Though, you might not want to see me again after today."

"I…I…"

Sakura reached into a pocket, and taking Rin's hand placed a card on it. "If you do though," she said. "You can contact me there. Just don't tell your parents yet about me. I…have my plans on when and how to meet them again, if ever."

Rin read the card quickly, and glanced up at Sakura. Sakura smiled, and ruffled Rin's hair. "See you around then." She said before walking away.

"Bye girls," Pixie said from Sakura's shoulder, and waving away. "See you around."

The girls waved back, while Rin just stared at the card she was holding in her hand. And then, after a moment, she closed her eyes, and getting up stood to look at Sakura walking away. "SAKURA!" she shouted, and causing the older woman to look at her in surprise. "I…I…I'm sorry! I'm sorry for leaving you alone! For not being there for you! And…and…I…I really wanted…and still want…to be your sister! So please…please…"

For a long moment, the two sisters stared at each other across the distance, and then smiling Sakura nodded at Rin, who looked down with a smile before wiping her eyes. Sakura then turned again, and resumed her walk away.

"So now what?" Pixie asked.

"Rin needs to think things over a bit." Sakura replied. "We…I'll, let her come to me next time, if she still wants to."

"You think she'd tell on her parents about today?"

Sakura didn't answer at once, but eventually she briefly closed her eyes and shook her head. "She might," she said. "But I don't think so."

"Oh?"

Sakura glanced at Pixie with a smile. "I asked her not to." Sakura said. "And after today, she'll not want to give me any reason to not trust her."

"I see."

Sakura took a deep breath. "I think…" she said. "Yeah, I think we were a bit too mean back there, but…I don't think…it was wrong."

Pixie glanced at Sakura who glanced back at her. "This way," Sakura said. "She won't take this reunion for granted."

"I see." Pixie said with a nod. "Yes, I think so too. If you just came and reunited with her without any mention of the past, well, she'd think there was no issue with everything bad that's happened in the past, and will keep on thinking they were alright. She might even make the same decisions as your old man in her turn."

"But this way," Sakura said with a nod of her own. "She knows better, and hopefully, she'll make better decisions in the future."

Pixie nodded again. "So…" she began after a few moments. "Do we go home?"

Sakura paused, looking up at the sky in thought. And then she smiled. "Hey," she said. "We know where Rider and his Master are hiding at, don't we?"

"Going to pick a fight?"

"No," Sakura said with a smile. "I think I want to see my boyfriend!"

"Huh? Boyfriend? What?"

* * *

The doorbell rang, Martha Mackenzie walking over from where she'd just placed a tea set in front of Rider and Waver on the living room coffee table. "No, no," she said, waving Waver back down. "I'll take it."

Walking over to the front door, Martha opened it, Sakura standing on the threshold and carrying a cake box beside her. "Good evening," she said with a bow. "My name is Sakura Matou. Is Waver Velvet in?"

"Well, yes," Martha said with surprise. "May I ask what business you have with him?"

"Oh yes, of course," Sakura said. "I'm his girlfriend, you see, and when I heard he'd taken some time off to see his family I decided I might as well take some time off myself and join him doing so. Oh that's right…"

Sakura brought up the cake box and offered it to Martha who accepted. "Oh my," she said with a warm smile. "It's so nice to see Waver's found someone so polite. I must ask though, will you be taking things all the way?"

Sakura giggled and blushed. "Well," she said. "I certainly hope so, which is why I'm here."

Martha laughed as well. "Please do come in," she said. "We weren't expecting you, but please do make yourself at home."

"Thank you very much." Sakura said with another bow, coming inside and wiping her shoes on the mat, took them off for indoor slippers.

"Waver," Martha called as she passed by the living room on the way to the kitchen. "Your girlfriend's here."

"Huh?" Waver said, his eyes wide. "Girlfriend? What?"

"Sweety pie!" Sakura said loudly as she entered the living room, and causing Waver's eyes to bulge. "I'm here!"

"What are…!"

Whatever Waver was going to say was cut off as Sakura tackled him into his armchair with an enthusiastic squeal of delight. "Play along." She whispered into his ear before raising her voice. "I can't believe you didn't tell me you were going to go back to Japan and see your family! You should have told me you know? I thought we had something special between us!"

"W-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w…"

Martha laughed at the sight, as did Rider. "Ah, the shamelessness of youth…" Martha said with a wistful tone and expression. "I remember when we were young…"

"We were all young once." Rider remarked with a nostalgic expression on his face.

"Indeed," Martha said with a sigh before heading off into the kitchen.

…

…

…

…

…

"…well, that was a thing."

"Get off me!"

Sakura fell back on her ass, and pouted at Waver in front of her. "Sweety pie doesn't want a hug from his Sakura-chan?" she asked.

"You should treat women with a lighter touch, kid." Rider rumbled. "And I didn't know you were in a relationship with her, you should have told me."

"I'm not!" Waver protested. "I…!"

Waver was cut off as Sakura placed a hand on his mouth. "Long story short," Sakura said to Rider. "You said you were willing to negotiate, and so am I."

"I did say that back then," Rider said with a nod before raising an eyebrow at Waver and Sakura. "So you're not in a relationship?"

"No."

"NO!"

Rider erupted in uproarious laughter. "It's not funny!" Waver said, as Rider slapped a knee in amusement.

"Impressive!" he boomed. "Deception tactics indeed!"

"My thanks, King of Conquerors," Sakura said with a shrug. "Though,"

Sakura paused, placing her fingers underneath Waver's chin, and lifting his face up to look into hers. "You are kind of cute yourself." She said with a seductive smile. "Want to go out with me one of these days? I might even let you…do…it…with…me…"

"W-w-w-w-what do you mean by that?"

"Oh wow, you're an innocent aren't you?"

"N-no I'm not…!" Waver began only to clap his hands over his mouth, his cheeks flaming into a blush.

"Oh wow!" Sakura said with genuine awe. "You're certainly not what I expected, if you've scored before!"

"To think you were a man already," Rider said with a proud shake of his head. "I underestimated you, boy! No, calling you 'boy' isn't right anymore, is it, my friend?"

Waver closed his eyes and let out a suppressed scream of frustration.

* * *

"I see." Rider said as Sakura finished explaining her mission. "So the Grail is unusable. What a shame."

Sakura said with a nod. "That said," she said. "Even if the Grail cannot grant you your wish, it is within my ability as a devil summoner to…mediate, with one or another of those with the power to make your wish reality."

"Is it really possible?" Rider asked.

"Well," Sakura said. "Those same beings were responsible in allowing me to become as strong as I am. Though, it'll have to wait until after we expose the Grail's…corruption, and of course, identify the nature of the being that has corrupted it."

Rider nodded. "And then what after that?" he asked.

"To be honest, King of Conquerors," Sakura said. "I just want to live my own life, as I see it, with no one else telling me what to do with it, when and how. I admit it's rather selfish, but…my becoming this powerful, was always in pursuit of that goal."

"In other words," Rider said. "You're willing to ally with me until the end of this war, but afterwards, we'll have to part ways."

"Sadly, yes," Sakura said. "We might end up enemies afterward too, though I doubt it. As I said, I just…want to live my life as I see it. It's quite unlikely that we'll end up opposing each other, whatever you would seek to do after obtaining your wish of conquering the world once more."

"Conquering the world, huh?" Rider echoed before chuckling. "Well, that's a matter for another time."

"Oh?"

Rider waved her off. "We can negotiate again, after the war, on whether or not we have to part ways." He said. "But, while there is…circumstantial proof, that the Grail is corrupt, in particular Caster going around abducting children for one reason or another, what about you? What proof do you have that you can mediate with beings that could grant my wish?"

Sakura smiled and nodded. "A fair question," she admitted. "Shall I prove it to you?"

"What?"

"We'll have to step outside though," Sakura said. "I don't think our hosts would take kindly to the Red Rider of the Apocalypse being summoned inside the house."

"What?"

"Eh?"

Sakura calmly met Rider's eyes for several moments. "You're serious, aren't you?" he finally asked. "You can really summon the Incarnation of War and mediate with him on my behalf?"

"Well," Sakura said with a shrug. "I am a devil summoner extraordinaire, as I said back then."

Waver fainted, and Rider sighed. "I do wish he'd man up some more." He said, watching with amusement as Sakura dragged Waver's body over to her and laid his head on her lap. "Alright, let's say I take you at your word – Waver certainly seems to have – but what if I told you my wish wasn't world conquest?"

"What?" Sakura asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Is it so surprising?" Rider asked. "I'm the King of Conquerors. _I_ should conquer, and not have conquest handed to me already done."

Sakura blinked. "Then," she asked. "If not world conquest, what is your wish?"

Rider smiled. "Incarnation." He said.

* * *

A/N

Is Sakura being too mean? Too unreasonable? Or is she just telling things how it is, and acting as she naturally would? Maybe she's being unreasonable, after all, what Tokiomi decided to do, the way Aoi and Rin accepted it, are perfectly accepted and expected of being in a magus family. What she feels about it is irrelevant, even if the Tohsaka were just an ordinary family.

But, if life and the world are unfair, do you have any obligation to be fair to it? Maybe it's an evil reaction, life and the world aren't about you after all...but in the eyes of Chaos, why? If you have the power to give the world the middle finger, and go on the way you want regardless of how many corpses and ruins you will leave behind you...why shouldn't life and the world be about you?

Poor Waver, being the Sane Man is always suffering.


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Chapter 7

"It was so nice to have you over during this evening." Martha said, as she, Glen, and Waver saw Sakura out after dinner. "Please do come over again when you have the time. Having young people around makes the house so much livelier than it usually is, and Waver certainly seemed to have enjoyed himself."

"Y-yeah," Waver evasively said, while the Mackenzies looked at him with smiles. "I-it was nice, having you over."

"Oh you're so modest, Waver." Martha lightly-chided. "I'd have thought you'd be happier with your girlfriend coming over to surprise you! Though, I have to say I'm surprised you never mentioned her before today."

"I…but…that is…um…"

Sakura giggled. "That's alright, Missus Mackenzie." She said. "I'm sure he was just waiting for the right time. As for the modesty thing…well, it's actually one of the things I like most about him."

"Oh?"

"It makes him really cute." Sakura said with a giggle, the Mackenzie's laughing good-naturedly as Waver blushed deeply.

"Well, there is that." Glen Mackenzie said. "And it does make him a perfect match for someone as outgoing as you. Damn…he's really lucky too, to have a looker like you interested in him…damn lucky…"

Waver quickly and soundlessly opened and closed his mouth as Glen patted him on the back in a congratulatory fashion. "Well, _I_ think I'm lucky to have someone like Waver for a boyfriend." Sakura said. "He's certainly more considerate and respectful than other men of our age these days."

"Oh yes indeed." Martha agreed. "Most men these days just aren't like my Glen or Waver. Soft idlers with no real ambition or proper respect for hard work…oh, but we shouldn't talk about things like that here and now."

"Yes, of course." Sakura said with a bow. "Sorry for bringing it up, and thank you for having me over for tonight."

"Oh it's fine, my dear!" Martha said with a wave of her hand. "We enjoyed the evening too, and as I said earlier, you should come over again when you have the time. I'm sure you have other things do while you're here, and so does Waver, but please do feel free to come over and visit when you have the time."

"Yes, I will." Sakura said with another bow, and then stepping closer, caused Waver to blush even deeper by giving him a kiss on the cheek. "See you around, sweety pie."

Waver clutched at his cheek, wordlessly gaping at Sakura as a grinning Glen elbowed him proudly and Sakura bowed once more to Martha before walking away. "What a nice young lady," Martha said as she closed the door. "With bright prospects for the future and knowing how to get there…you certainly picked the right kind of woman, Waver dear."

"I…um…that is…yeah, I think I did."

Martha and Glen looked on curiously as the blushing Waver quietly retreated to the living room, and then shrugged to themselves while heading off to the kitchen and dining room to clean up. Meanwhile, in the living room Waver gratefully sank into an armchair while Rider sat on the nearby couch playing video games.

"What's wrong, Waver?" Rider asked after a few moments.

Well, if nothing else, Matou's visit causing the fact that Waver wasn't as…inexperienced, as he seemed to be, to come out meant that Rider had finally stopped calling him 'boy'. And Waver was grateful for that much. But still…

"I…I just…I don't know what to think." He finally said.

"Oh?"

"I…Sakura Matou…" Waver fumbled. "The way she acts around me…as though we're…well, you know…together…I don't know what to think about it. Am I supposed to just play along with it? Or should I…be…flattered or…insulted or…"

Rider laughed as Waver trailed off. "But," Rider said with a grin. "You're attracted to her, aren't you?"

"W-w-w-what?"

"Come on," Rider pressed. "You think she's attractive, don't you?"

"W-w-well, she is quite pretty…" Waver stammered out. "And that mini-skirt and t-shirt of hers don't leave much to the imagination…"

The young magus finally trailed off, uncomfortably dwelling on the way Matou's red, short-sleeved and collarless shirt had…shown off, her generous chest despite only the barest hint of cleavage and no skin visible. And those black thigh-highs…mmm, nice lines, plus that mini-skirt…now what was it like under that…

Waver shook his head to clear it. He shouldn't be thinking like that. In the first place, it was very…disrespectful, of Matou…unless that was the whole point, of course. To make him think about her…body, like that. Was she trying to seduce him? Yes, of course she was…but, didn't Rider seem to think she was trustworthy enough? And that…summon, of hers, Clotho…

…one of the Three Fates…

" _Can we really trust her?_ " Waver thought. " _I mean…the Three Fates…they're Divine Spirits, aren't they? They're not supposed to exist anymore, not today, and even if they were there's no way magi could summon and deal with them so easily. It…that was…that was a trick…it had to be…and yet…but Rider isn't really an expert in this, so no matter what he thinks…_ "

"I know what you're thinking, Waver." Rider suddenly said, and jolting Waver back to reality. "But, from someone with plenty of experience with women in life…"

Rider paused and smiled at Waver, in that mentor-like way that seemed to just put the young magus at ease. "I think she really is interested in you." Rider said. "Not all the way yet, but she is. And I think you should at least reciprocate by just the bit. If nothing else, it's polite and respectful to her."

"W-w-well, I…"

"And it's not like you're not interested in her, are you?"

"T-t-that's…!"

Rider laughed, but it was soft and subdued. "She looks as though she's playing around," he said. "And she was, to an extent. But, from the way you reacted, and how she took it, I daresay you're the kind of man she likes. Someone who's a genuinely good man at heart, and willing to work hard to achieve what he sets out to achieve no matter what challenges and trials stand in his way. And of course, willing to stand up for himself against oppression and abuse, one way or another."

"I…I'm very…it's nice of you to say that, but I'm not like…"

Waver trailed off as Rider glanced at him seriously. For a moment they just stared at each other, and then Rider smiled. "Be more confident in yourself, friend." He said to Waver. "I accepted you as my Master, didn't I? You are greater than you think you are…more than you know…"

"…y-yeah…thank you…about Matou, that is…Sakura…"

"Hmm? What about her?"

"Can we…can we really trust what she says?"

"Hmm," Rider hummed while turning back to his game. "I'll admit, even with the evidence she puts forward, about the Grail's sabotage during the previous war by Einzbern trying to cheat, and Caster's…anomalous, summoning…and yes, her ability to casually summon and treat with one of the Three Fates is…well, I'll be honest: it beggars belief."

"Then…"

"That said, it's not the first time I've taken gambles and risks in war." Rider rumbled thoughtfully. "And in the former case at least, Matou makes a good argument."

"So…you think we can trust her."

"Yes," Rider agreed with a nod. "I do think we should give her a chance at least. And if nothing else, if you're the kind of man she's interested in, well, I daresay that says a lot about her character."

Waver couldn't say anything at that, and Rider continued to play his game. Waver weighed Rider's arguments against his own doubts, and after several moments clutched at his head and shook it. Maybe…maybe he should…

" _…there's just too much happening and too quickly!_ " Waver thought. " _I…I need to think over this some more…and it might be best to put it off until tomorrow, so I can clear my head with some sleep. Yeah…that's probably for the best…but even so…I need something to distract myself from this…but what? Well, there is something…_ "

Rider glanced at Waver curiously as he got to his feet. "Going somewhere?" the Servant asked.

"I need to…to clear my head." Waver said with a sigh. "So I…I'm going to help Martha over in the kitchen."

"Oh I see." Rider said with a nod. "Good idea, I imagine you've a lot to think about. And a clear head is the best to think with, and this way you can help Martha out with her housework too."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too. Well then…"

Rider nodded, and Waver wandered off to help Martha out. Alone now, Rider turned back to the TV to continue playing his game.

* * *

"So…" Pixie said, flying over to Sakura's side as she leaped over the Fuyuki skyline back to their apartment. "How'd it go?"

"Quite well, actually," Sakura replied without breaking step. "I told Rider what we already knew: that because of Einzbern's summoning of Avenger – a Servant Class outside of the seven regular ones – during the previous Holy Grail War, the Grail is corrupt and unusable. Though Waver Velvet had apparently heard rumors about such – if unconfirmed ones – an attempt at cheating in the past, the real evidence was how someone like Caster, a mass kidnapper and no doubt for no good end, has been summoned, when the Grail should _not_ be capable of summoning…well, 'evil', Servants."

"Emphasis on 'evil', huh?" Pixie wondered, and Sakura snorted.

"Yeah well, you know as well as I do that good and evil are such…vague, things." Sakura sneered. "And that assumes they even exist in the first place. Law and Chaos, on the other hand…but going back to Rider, yeah…I don't think he trusts me completely yet. But, he does seem willing to give me a chance, and has negotiated with Clotho and her sisters to grant his wish in exchange for giving up on the Grail and helping me with our mission."

"You told them about our mission?" Pixie asked.

"Yeah," Sakura said. "Ahriman wants to know if the 'Angra Mainyu' trapped in the Grail is one of this avatars…about that, strangely enough Rider knew who Ahriman was, and his attributes, but didn't seem to mind me working for him."

Pixie blinked, and then narrowed her eyes. "You think…he's planning something about it?" she asked.

"I…don't know, to be honest." Sakura said, jumping down from a roof to the street level of an alley. Pixie settled down on one of Sakura' shoulders, the devil summoner walking down the alley and slipping into the traffic along the street outside. "More likely though, as someone who ruled a diverse and cosmopolitan kingdom in life…he…doesn't…really care, what god or goddess you serve and in what way, so long as it doesn't cause trouble for anyone else."

"That…makes sense, I guess." Pixie conceded. "And? What was Rider's wish? Oh right…Alexander the Great…let me guess? He wants the world? Easy enough to grant I guess, for the Three Fates, but why them and not one or another of the Four Horsemen? Red Rider could grant it just as easily, and probably with less talk than any of the Three Fates."

Sakura chuckled. "Guess what," she said. "Rider doesn't want the world."

"What?" Pixie asked in surprise. "B-but why? And that doesn't make sense! Is he really Alexander the Great? Because that sounds like…!"

"He said that as the 'King of Conquerors', he should conquer his kingdom, and not have it handed to him already conquered." Sakura said. "It makes sense, doesn't it?"

"…yeah, it does." Pixie conceded after a moment. "But if that's the case, what's his wish? A chance to do just that? To conquer his kingdom?"

"Close," Sakura said. "He wants to be incarnated in flesh and blood again, or at very least released from the limitations of being a Servant. In fact, he said he didn't care if he lost his powers as a Servant or even as a Heroic Spirit, if it meant a chance at starting over and a chance to…fight, or whatever, to achieve his dream."

"…wow…talk about dedicated." Pixie said softly. "And what did Clotho say?"

"They…well, _we_ haggled over it a bit." Sakura said a bit evasively.

"Oh?"

"Well…Rider is, well _dead_. Or he should be." Sakura said. "And while Clotho could easily bring the dead back to life, she doesn't want to. And that's basically what would happen if Rider's wish was granted."

"So how…you didn't?"

"Yeah…I kind of…owe the Three Sisters a favor now. Each…" Sakura said before sighing and running a hand through her hair. "Well…could be worse…though it's probably no worse than what I've already gone through to be as strong as I am now…"

Sakura trailed off, memories of cities burning, of an entire world dying, and of struggling to walk towards a warp portal bloody and battered flashing through her mind…and that final battle, a challenge from the Tyrant Demon Beelzebub himself…

 _...M-M-Megidolaon…_

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _…you are strong Sakura Matou. A powerful champion of Chaos now, and potentially even more powerful in the future…should you live…tomorrow, and the days after…and today you live. You may pass, and return to your world._

 _Live…and grow strong…_

"Hey, you alright?" Pixie asked in concern. "You, kind of spaced out there, just now."

Sakura blinked, and shook her head. "Oh, I…uh…yeah, I'm fine." She said, subconsciously reaching up to and massaging a spot on her chest where Beelzebub had punched through, narrowly missing her heart. He'd impaled her and brought her close…and allowed her to use the last of her strength to fire a Megidolaon at point-blank range…

"…so," Pixie continued, despite still looking concerned. "The Three Fates will grant Rider's wish?"

"They will." Sakura said with a nod, and dropping her hand. "After the war ends, they want me to take him to their domain in the Expanse, where they'll have him bathe in magatsuhi and…well, you know how that goes."

"But…that'll…"

"Yeah, I know." Sakura said with a sigh. "Depending on how it goes, he'll either be resurrected as a Human being once more…or become a Fiend Class Demon in his own right. Either way though, Rider doesn't mind. All he wants is another chance to conquer his kingdom."

Pixie was silent for several moments. "Did something else happen?" she asked softly.

Sakura stopped walking, and seemed to stare off into nothing for some time. "Sakura?" Pixie pressed. "Sakura? Sakura!"

Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Let's just say," she said. "That Clotho…said it just like the old man would have…"

"Huh?"

"Greatness, or even just its potential…is a curse." Sakura said softly. "Clotho…showed me, plenty of other timelines. Inevitabilities…death, ascension, mediocrity…"

Sakura trailed off, and coming to a halt, looked up at the sky with mixed fury and despair, the image of a girl in another timeline flashing through her mind, dark brown hair turned violet slick with liquid filth, blue eyes turned violet blank with resignation and despair, her helpless body writhing as it was violated by worms…

"Whoever said that luck doesn't mean anything is a fucking idiot…" Sakura muttered. "It can make all the difference a person needs."

Taking a deep breath, Sakura smiled at Pixie. "Sorry about that," she said, resuming her walk and turning to enter their apartment grounds. "Just remembered something Clotho showed me…an unlucky, counterpart of mine, who couldn't escape or wasn't saved from the old man's decision."

"Oh."

"Anyway," Sakura said. "That's basically it, actually. Rider and his Master know why we're here, the Grail is unusable, we've come to an arrangement about his wish, an alliance…oh, and his Master…"

Sakura giggled and grinned. "He's not nearly as wimpy as he looks." She said with a wink. "Apparently, he's scored before, and after a closer look, he's actually quite cute."

"Is he really your type though?" Pixie asked with a small smile and a raised eyebrow.

"Actually, yes." Sakura said with another giggle. "You can tell by the way he responds to my flirting. And of course…well, Servants and Masters tend to resemble each other. For all his faults and ambitions, Rider is…was, and still is a good man at heart. I'd say the same goes for Waver Velvet."

"Cute, good-hearted, and…not in it purely so he can score with you." Pixie said, ticking points off with her fingers. "Okay, sounds like your exes alright…"

"One more thing," Sakura said as she entered the elevator. "Unlike my exes, I think…I can trust, Waver, eventually, with all the secrets of my life. I mean, it's not like the supernatural really needs to be kept secret and all, unlike with the localized rules of this timeline and all, but…well, my exes, they…didn't seem the kind to take well to it. Waver does…even if we have to break things to him gently or at least soften him up first, so to speak."

Pixie nodded slowly. "I think…I see what you mean." She said before grinning. "Heh…you went in looking for allies, and came back with both allies _and_ a potential boyfriend. What number is he again?"

"Three," Sakura said. "Though, Waver doesn't seem really interested, so the potential will probably stay just that. But…even if we can't have a relationship between us, I think he can be recruited for our cause. At the very least I'll do everything I can to achieve that last."

Pixie nodded in approval. "That you can." She said as Sakura exited the elevator. Arriving at their rooms, Sakura unlocked the door and opened it, slipping in and closing it behind them.

"Now then," Sakura said, striding over to the bedroom and the laptop linked to the drones providing real-time reconnaissance across the city. "Let's see what's happened while we were gone."

Opening the laptop, Sakura quickly ran through the events of the previous hours, having no field updates due to setting the drone network on a lower alert level today. For the most part there was nothing important, until she reached something that happened just a short while ago, and had Sakura's eyes widening in shock.

"What?"

* * *

Kiritsugu blew out a thin stream of smoke, and shook his head. "I've gotten soft." He said, staring out across the distance towards the smoking ruins of what was once the Fuyuki Grand Hyatt Hotel. Ample amounts of high explosive can do that to a building, properly used.

In times past, Kiritsugu would have blown up the building without a care for all the people inside. The deaths would weigh on him, but ultimately they were just part of the price to pay to achieve a greater end. And…proof, of how twisted the world was, that justice and peace had to bought with blood and death.

Especially now, given the prize at stake in the war. But if he won it, it would be worth all the sacrifices, for the cycle would be broken once and for all.

More to the point though…he hadn't just bombed the hotel. He'd made an anonymous tip, that a bombing _would_ take place, causing the place to be evacuated and potentially giving his target, Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi a chance to escape. To prevent that, he'd allowed himself to be detected by Kayneth's bounded field on the ground floor, what the magus no doubt believed to be a probe of his outer defenses, and not realizing – due to the typical magus' lack of understanding of modern tactics and weaponry – that Kiritsugu was actually planting bombs at the time.

And the tip? All to clear the battlefield, to lessen the possibility of witnesses…as expected of fellow magi…again, from Kayneth's perspective. And all playing into Kiritsugu's hands.

Still, it'd be easier to just bomb the place sky-high with only the barest hint of his presence. But…as Kiritsugu just said, he'd gotten soft. Parenthood had made him soft.

It wasn't something he regretted, parenthood that was, but still…

…he was slipping.

" _Though once the war is won,_ " he thought. " _It won't matter. The Magus Killer won't be needed anymore after all…not when the path of least bloodshed has finally reached its conclusion._ "

Kiritsugu sighed before continuing to enjoy his smoke. Truth be told, he really wanted to prioritize the strongest Master in this war, Sakura Matou, but he didn't know where she was, what with his raid on the Matou mansion earlier this morning and the subsequent interrogation of Byakuya Matou having led Kiritsugu to conclude that Sakura Matou was not based at the Matou property.

That she likely was not truly a Matou and just shared their name or was an outcast or a descendant of one making a bid to seize the clan was none of Kiritsugu's concern.

But more to the point…Sakura Matou's location was still unknown to Kiritsugu. And it was really annoying, or rather problematic for him.

He'd continue to search of course, but until then…best not to let the grass grow, and take what pieces he could off the board. After Sakura Matou, the Master next in rank would be Lord El-Melloi. And Kiritsugi knew where he was, and how to deal with him. And dealt with he was…

…or at least his base was.

Kiritsugu sighed as he watched through a familiar a sphere of mercury being loaded into a truck by clearly-brainwashed emergency workers, and the truck taking it away. He'd easily bet a million yen Kayneth and his woman and Servant were inside.

Tasking the familiar to keep track of them, Kiritsugu was about to turn away when he noticed something else. A…drone of some sort, also poring over the ruins from the sky. And more than one…well, one was poring over the ruins, while a second was following Kayneth getting away.

 _It couldn't be…_

* * *

"Did he just…?"

"Yeah, he blew up a hotel." Sakura said, already tearing through her luggage to find what she was looking for, a thick, heavily-bound book with a golden, eight-pointed star centered on a lidless eye with a cat-like slit for an iris emblazoned on its front. "Hundreds of people are probably dead, all so he could get Lord El-Melloi _without_ having to fight his way through no doubt formidable defenses, and behind which the lord and his Servant would have been waiting, and in a prepared battlefield to boot."

Pixie looked on as Sakura began leafing through the book, every so often swatting at its pages as though in admonishment. Which, it probably was, given the book was…well, _alive_ or at least sentient to an extent, given the knowledge it contained. Too bad for it though, that Sakura's mind was already…open, for lack of a better way to describe it, to be snared so easily.

"I have to admit it is impressive and resourceful," Sakura said. "But I'm not eager at the idea of Emiya coming here and blowing us sky-high without any regard for collateral…especially since next time he'll be prepared in case just like Lord El-Melloi, we survive the explosion and the subsequent collapse."

"You could just, you know, fry him if that happened…" Pixie pointed out.

"Yeah…" Sakura said, running her finger down a page. "I'd rather not…take chances. My…stats, to keep things simple, are high enough to survive or even brush off a lot of what would normally kill most people but…yeah…let's not take any chances, shall we?"

"Fair enough…" Pixie conceded. "Are you sure you really want to use that stuff? If I remember right pretty much everything in that book is the kind of stuff you really prefer to avoid. And I'm surprised they even work at all, considering they're based on localized systems."

"It weakens the effect to an extent," Sakura said. "But that's all for the better, since it means the nastier side-effects of using them don't apply. And unlike the localized systems of the set of timelines we're in right now, the spells and stuff in this book have a more…general, and adaptable base, emotion-rooted as they are…"

Sakura straightened, and then grinning held up the book with the page out for Pixie to see. "How do you like this?" she asked.

Pixie gave it a look and started laughing. "Oh…oh…" she struggled to say. "If…if it…if it works…plus the weakened…effect…he'll probably rush off to…to…to get some…!"

"Hey, from the look of things he could use some stress relief." Sakura said with a shrug as Pixie continued to laugh.

Still chuckling, Pixie wiped her eyes. "Though," she said. "You sure you want to use those wards? Look at the requirements."

"Huh?"

Sakura read through the wards' requirements, and after a few moments her face twisted in disgust. "Yuck!" she said. "No way…let's go find something else to use."

Pixie shrugged, flying over to the laptop to watch. In the meantime, Sakura continued to leaf through the tome, and after a couple of minutes found what she was looking for. "Okay," she said. "I think this'll do. I'll need some additional materials to make it work though, and while I'll need to kill a few people for it…well, it's not the first time, and I'm sure there are lowlifes out there that no one will miss."

Sakura carried the book over to the living room, along with pen and paper. "Pixie," she said over a shoulder. "Please reset the alert level to one."

"Got it."

"Thanks!"

"No problem."

It was several minutes later that Sakura returned, placing the book back inside her luggage before grabbing one of her jackets from the closet and putting it on. Stuffing her notes into a pocket, she buttoned up the jacket before gesturing outside. "Shall we go?" she said.

"Okay!"

* * *

A/N

The Three Fates: Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. Sakura has contracts with them…and now owes them favors (conditional on Rider surviving the war to be resurrected as a Human/incarnated as a Fiend Class Demon).

Yes, I know it's going to break the rules of the Nasuverse to bring the dead back to life, but considering Servants are _technically_ just copies of the Heroic Spirit preserved in the throne and even then are just…really powerful ghosts kept in the World by prana…so it wouldn't really count as bringing the dead back to life. At least I don't think it will…not that it really matters, of course. So many rules have been broken already, so what's one more by comparison?

Finally, yeah, Sakura's killed people before. Big deal. Magi kill people all the time, even Rin was quite nonchalant about killing in canon hell _**SHIROU**_ was willing to kill Shinji at one point and would have if he had to. No difference here. Sakura needs sacrifices to power her anti-Kiritsugu wards, and she's going to get them.


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Chapter 8

Kiritsugu was a man on a mission. That mission was to bring peace and justice to the world, for which he had spent his life walking what he called 'the path of least bloodshed'. One life to save ten, ten to save a hundred, a hundred a thousand…

…simply put, it was sacrificing the least for the greater.

That such a path was fundamentally flawed in the sense that it did not bring about true justice and peace as it excluded those sacrificed was not lost to Kiritsugu, and indeed, such a fact weighed heavily on his being. None knew this however, save perhaps his wife, Irisviel.

But, with the power of the Holy Grail, perhaps, just perhaps, he could achieve his dream, and bring about true peace and justice for the world once and for all. No more sacrifices. No more compromises. All of Humanity living in peace and harmony with each other for all time, free of the evils that had caused so much pain and suffering for so long.

Of course, Kiritsugu had to win the Grail first. A last set of sacrifices, a final number of bodies and drops of blood to be added to the foundation for Humanity's bright future…

…even if one of those bodies must be that of his wife. And perhaps, even his own…

…no matter. After all, what were their individual lives worth compared to Humanity's benefit?

No matter what, Kiritsugu would win the war. He'd win the Grail, and give all the sacrifices made in the name of peace and justice, not just his own but of all who'd dreamed of a world without pain and suffering, meaning. He would save the world and all of Humanity, for all time.

Peace. Justice. A new dawn for Humanity.

It was like a light at the end of the tunnel, the triumphant culmination of his life's work and the dream he'd held onto ever since he was a child…

…but even at this point, when everything was so close, a shadow fell upon it, threatening to sever the path leading to that bright future. And that shadow was Sakura Matou.

Of course, if she'd heard that she'd laugh at the irony, given the nature of her born talents. But Kiritsugu was not laughing. Definitely not, though he'd no doubt surprise her with his lack of the expected fury and hatred that he could be expected to spit out for her standing against his dream.

It was pointless after all. Instead of wasting time and effort being angry and hateful, he could use that same time and effort to find a solution, and remove her shadow (pun not intended) from his path.

First things first, Matou needed to be found. Well, it wasn't like he hadn't been looking for her already, but now apart from the bare minimum needed to maintain surveillance on the other Masters and Servants (apart from Caster and his Master who were still nowhere to be found for all their activities) all of Kiritsugu's familiars were scouring the city for Matou's location. Easier said than done, and it would take time, but it would be done regardless.

And, while directly striking against Matou was not yet possible, indirect strikes against her were. Her use of drones was surprising and had caught him by surprise, that such a powerful magus as her would use modern machines…

…though in hindsight, that was probably not the case. Appearance aside, there was no proof they were modern machines, and could easily be magical constructs themselves. The Ancient Greeks had known how to make automatons after all, said to be superior even to the robots of modern times. Crude robots had also been made in medieval and Renaissance times…

…and more to the point, similar constructs were recognized and taught as part of orthodox Thaumaturgy at the Clock Tower. Dolls, automatons, and others beside…

…who was to say Matou's drones were not more of the same?

No, there was no need to panic. Waste aside, there was no proof to show that she was like him, a user of modern technology, and was thus more adept than most magi when it came to…matters, outside of their worldview.

Though, it certainly seemed she was – again – even more of a threat than she seemed to have been. Breathing and walking, demonology, and now even automaton construction…

…she was without a doubt the strongest magus in this war (and again unknown to Kiritsugu she would laugh at such words). More so than either Lord El-Melloi or Tokiomi Tohsaka, and needed to be taken off the board as soon as possible, and with extreme prejudice.

It was just too dangerous letting someone with that amount of power and achievement as she possessed run around.

And once again, that was easier said than done. Finding her aside, he'd have to defeat her afterward, and while he'd no doubt a single Origin Bullet would end her threat just as easily as it had others in the past…

…the question was could he hold out until she used her full power, and the Origin Bullet was at its most effective?

Or more simply put, would he have the chance to use his trump card?

That he had to there was no question. But could he, was.

And of course, there was also that Berserker of hers. He didn't know who it was, but from the look of things…

…Saber might be in for the fight of her life. Raw, sheer, and untempered power against precise and perfected skill…

" _A battle with life on the line,_ " Kiritsugu thought, as he smoked another cigarette. " _And with the fate of the Human race hanging in the balance…what a joke. There should be no question as to the outcome, and yet there is. This is a twisted world we live in._ "

He had to win. He _had_ to.

But that was still in the future. For now he would focus on finding her, and destroying her drones to deny her the ability to get information on the ground. Again, that was easier said than done, as his familiars lacked real offensive power and his initial attempt to use suicide tactics by ramming a familiar against a drone had simply caused the drone to fly higher and faster than his familiar could…

…he needed to find a solution to that, and in fact already had. Explosives: a crude but useful tool. He just needed time to prepare what was needed.

That, and deal with Lord El-Melloi.

The man's survival was most troublesome. Apart from keeping Kiritsugu from focusing fully on Matou, Lord El-Melloi would no doubt seek retribution for the destruction of his base of operations, and would likely challenge Kiritsugu at his supposed base of operations: Einzbern Castle.

Normally it'd be insane, given that was the heart of Einzbern's power in this land, and a cardinal rule was that magi should not be challenged at the heart of their power. But, there were certain factors which indicated said rule did not apply.

First, Einzbern's castle in Fuyuki was not truly their center of power. That was the true Einzbern Castle, in Germany's Black Forest.

Second, well, Kiritsugu had likely given away his involvement by blowing up the Fuyuki Grand Hyatt Hotel. He was fairly well-known after all, and actions like that were his known _modus operandi_.

Third, again, it wasn't a closely-kept secret that he'd married Irisviel von Einzbern. It was a matter of law, and Lord El-Melloi had no doubt files on known Masters, including dossiers on their families. And Kiritsugu would no doubt be listed as her husband.

Fourth, it was known that Einzbern magi weren't well-suited for combat, and preferred to rely on their homunculi. Something of a fallacy, given the nature of the Einzbern family, but more to the point…

…given his known presence and personal relationship with Iri, Lord El-Melloi would assume that in an assault on Einzbern Castle, Kiritsugu would be the one he'd be facing. And rightly so: Kiritsugu would _not_ allow Iri to fight unless she absolutely had to. Risking the Lesser Grail in battle could potentially turn this war into a copy of the previous one, and well, she _was_ his wife.

And that was probably perfectly fine with Lord El-Melloi. It was Kiritsugu who'd blown up his base, and thus it was Kiritsugu that he had a score to settle with.

And finally, well, despite not being the true heart of Einzbern power, this was still the heart of their power in the land. And a victory here would be a worthy accolade for Lord El-Melloi. He would come here. There was no doubt about it.

And Kiritsugu would prepare and meet him in battle. And he would take him off the board for good.

And then he could focus fully on the greatest enemy in this war.

* * *

Sakura swept through the drug lab, moving so fast as to leave afterimages behind her. _Yakuza_ thugs opened up with black market SMGs, Sakura easily sidestepping their fire to charge in close. Hips, shoulders, and knees: Sakura landed crippling palm strikes and kicks that sent thugs and hired guns screaming and writhing in agony to the floor.

And she was not alone in her onslaught. A summoned Naga was also there, bullets just bouncing off his body while the demon used its trident to good effect, severing tendons and ligaments with precise strikes or simply knocking foes unconscious with blows from his trident's haft or its tail. And Pixie was fighting too, zio flashing out with regularity to literally shock enemies into unconsciousness, and filling the air with the sharp stink of ozone.

Glass shattered as the windows of the observation deck above were blown out from the inside, more _yakuza_ thugs taking up position. SMGs and pistols roared, but as tracers lit up the air, Sakura was already soaring up and past, seemingly leaping on air with Cloud Ascending Ladder, the trademark _qinggong_ style of the Wudang Cult.

Kicking through the wall and sending the man behind it sprawling against the far wall, Sakura glared at the stunned _yakuza_ men. They stared back for the briefest of moments, and then with shouts of rage aimed their guns at her.

 _Too slow._

A palm strike to the chest of the man in front sent him flying back amongst his fellows who were sent sprawling, their aim going awry. In the next moment Sakura was among them, delivering crippling strikes with her hands and feet alike.

"W-w-who are you?" one of the men gasped out in the aftermath, the _yakuza_ men lying helplessly in pain on the floor. "Why are you doing this?"

Sakura's answer was to pick him up by the collar, and to wordlessly summon Sui-Ki behind her. "No one is going to miss a crook like you, that's why." Sakura sneered, jumping down with the man in hand, and throwing him across the ground floor. "As for who I am…you don't need to know."

"Y-you'll never get away with this!" the man spat. "I am _kyodai_. Only two ranks below _oyabun_! The _gumi_ will…!"

"They can, and will do nothing." Sakura interrupted, coldly drawing an _athame_ dagger with which she cut reality itself, and opening a… _hole_ , through which shone light that rendered the surroundings malignant and repulsive in appearance. "And if they try…I will slaughter them all."

Sakura stared at the man in the eyes as she said this, and there was just… _something_ in her eyes that instantly made the man afraid. He had never seen eyes like those, not even among the hardened killers and rapists the _gumi_ counted on as their enforcers. Not even when they laughed and jeered at women and children while they were raped, tortured or killed…

…the _gumi's_ men's eyes were never as hard, _cold_ , and even **_inhuman_** as this woman's.

This…woman, what…what was she?

"Monster…" he whispered.

"Maybe," Sakura admitted, picking the man up by the collar. "Inevitably…but at least I admit it."

And without another word she cast him into the portal, a scream of absolute horror wailing out as the man plunged into the portal, and stretching out as it faded into nothing, as though the man were falling down an infinitely-deep pit.

Worse were the laughter and the voices, as of countless and inhuman throats laughing and jeering and screaming for more as the man fell into the insanely swirling depths of the Expanse, or whispering of dreams, fears, and nightmares into those near the portal. Bathed in its light, the other _yakuza_ men could only cower in fear from Sakura, backlit and with eyes seeming to glow in an inhuman fashion.

"Now then," she said softly, as Sui-Ki and his brothers jumped down from above, and Naga and other demons arrived from the back, all bringing other, desperately struggling men with them. "Who's next?"

* * *

Morning dawned bright and sunny, the warmth a welcome reminder of the spring to come in the following weeks. A pair of blondes wandered down the streets of Fuyuki, one in a red blouse over a white skirt with matching knee-boots and dark-colored leggings, and the other wearing an unremarkable dark-colored business ensemble.

"Is this the place?" Saber asked.

"Hmm…" Irisviel hummed in thought, and then nodded. "Yup! That's the place. Shall we go in?"

Saber nodded, and stepping forward opened the door for Irisviel to enter. The homunculus nodded her thanks, and stepped into the café. Gentle but lively music greeted her, along with calls of 'welcome' from the staff. The tinkle of silver and china provided a comfortable depth to the café's own music, and a waitress approached Saber and Irisviel with a pair of menus.

"Good morning, and welcome to Café Le Havre." she said cheerfully and with a bow. "Table for two?"

"Yes, please." Irisviel replied, and with a gesture the waitress led them to an unoccupied table by a window. Once both Saber and Irisviel were seated, the waitress provided them with menus.

"Please feel free to take your time to review our menus, and do not hesitate to call one of our staff over when you would like to make your orders." The waitress said before giving a bow. "We hope you enjoy your experience here at Café Le Havre."

Saber and Irisviel nodded, and with another bow the waitress walked off. "Now then," Irisviel said with a smile. "Shall we see what they have?"

"Yes, we should." Saber agreed, the two women opening their menus. For a couple of minutes, they reviewed their options, but just as Irisviel lowered her menu and made to gesture for a waiter or waitress to take their orders, Saber suddenly stiffened and looked out the window.

"What's wrong?" Irisviel asked.

"A Servant…they're coming closer…" Saber said.

"T-they can't be planning to…attack, at this time, are they?" Irisviel asked, but Saber was silent for several moments.

"They're coming closer," she repeated. "But they don't seem to be very aggressive. However,"

"If they're just passing by, then we should just let them be." Irisviel said.

"Agreed," Saber said, turning away from the window and towards the front door instead. "But they're not just passing by. They're here."

"Eh?"

The café door opened, allowing a familiar figure to enter and be welcomed by the café staff. Only…without her cloak and cap, she looked _much_ younger than she seemed that night. Where Irisviel would have said before that Berserker's Master appeared to be in her thirties, now she would say she was in her twenties.

"Isn't that…?" Irisviel began.

"Yes." Saber said with a nod. "That's Berserker's Master, Sakura Matou."

* * *

Sakura blinked as she heard her name spoken, and following the sound noticed two familiar figures by the window. Smiling slightly, she nodded once at the waiter, and walked over to a free table near her fellow Master and her Servant. "Hello," she greeted. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Neither did we." Saber answered before her Master, and narrowed her eyes. "Have you been following us?"

"Paranoid, aren't we?" Sakura said, taking a seat and taking the offered menu from a waiter. Nodding in thanks, she waited for the man to leave before resuming the conversation. "As for your question, no I have not been following you. For your information, I went to this café since it seemed busy, and that had to mean it had good food. And after a hard night's work, I think deserve some good food for breakfast."

Saber stayed silently suspicious, but a hand from her Master on hers stayed the Servant's tongue. "There's no reason not to believe Matou when she says she wasn't following us." The homunculus said. "And this place is rather popular, which is why I wanted to check it out for ourselves this morning. So it's probably just coincidence that we're both eating breakfast here today."

Saber stayed silent for a moment longer, and then with a sigh nodded at her Master. "Very well," she said. "In any case, I do not wish to cause trouble either for ourselves, the patrons of this restaurant, or its owners."

Sakura nodded her thanks, and then turning to Saber's Master smiled. "Come to think of it," Sakura began. "I don't think we've been properly introduced. Well, you know who I am, but I'm at a disadvantage to your identity, my lady."

Irisviel smiled in a friendly fashion. "Is that so?" she asked. "Then allow me to introduce myself, I am Irisviel von Einzbern."

Sakura blinked, and then nodded. " _Guten Morgen, mein Fräulein._ " She said in German. " _Ich nehme an du bist Deutsch?_ "

Irisviel blinked and giggled. " _Guten Morgen auch dir._ " She responded in kind. " _Jedoch, es ist 'Frau', nicht 'Fräulein'._ "

" _Ich aha. Mein Entschuldigung._ "

Irisviel waved her off. " _Das ist gut._ " She said graciously. " _Wer hat wie dir beigebracht Deutsch zu Sprechen?_ "

" _Mein Onkel hat es mir beigebracht._ " Sakura replied. " _Onkel Walter ist Deutsch, du siehst. Walter von Hipper, so heißt er._ "

" _Ich aha._ " Irisviel said before pausing, and after another moment folded her hands on the table. " _Mein Entschuldigung wenn dies verursacht Delikt, aber…dein Akzent ist schrecklich._ "

Sakura's face cracked, and Saber smiled with veiled amusement while Irisviel smiled apologetically. "I really should practice some more." Sakura said, rubbing her head with a sigh.

"Well," Irisviel offered conciliatorily. "It wasn't that bad."

"Thank you." Sakura said with a nod. "Well, I've interrupted your breakfast long enough. I'll just get back to my business."

Irisviel nodded back, and signaling for a server began giving her and Saber's orders. Sakura meanwhile opened her menu and began perusing the options, Pixie doing likewise from Sakura's shoulder.

* * *

"It was very good, wasn't it?" Irisviel asked, as she and Saber walked down the street and away from the café.

"Yes, it was." Saber agreed with a nod. "We might want to return here someday."

Irisviel nodded also. "I'm rather surprised though." She suddenly said, her tone growing serious. "Matou…she was so young…how old do you think she is?"

"Hmm…" Saber hummed in thought. "I would say twenty something. Why?"

"Do you remember how she fought when she first appeared on the battlefield?"

"Yes, I do."

"It should be impossible for a Master to fight a Servant…but she could."

"Archer quickly forced her to call on Berserker, however."

"Indeed," Iri said, though she paused as they waited for a light to turn green. Once it did a minute or so later, they crossed the street, silently making their way down the sidewalk for several minutes before turning into a park. "However, my point is that no matter how brief it was, she managed to fight with a Servant. And not just any Servant either, an Archer Class Servant, one of the three Servant Knights which are supposed to be strongest among the seven classes."

Irisviel paused and sighed. "And she did all that, at what? Mid to late twenties?" she continued. "What's more she seems to be a freelancer of some sort. To have gained the power to briefly contest a Servant at that age, despite being a freelancer…just what mysteries and potential does she have?"

"…should we inform Kiritsugu?"

Irisviel nodded absent-mindedly. "He already considers her the most dangerous Master in the war." She said. "The only reason he hasn't acted directly against her – so far – is that he knows so little about her. And once he founds out she's much younger than she seems to be…"

Irisviel shook her head, taking a seat on a swing. "No…" she said. "I wonder if I'm…making too many assumptions here…but…"

"You think that perhaps she only looks as as young as she does?" Saber asked. "And that she has the age to reasonably be as powerful as she is?"

"…well, magi…don't have to look their age. Father, for example, is centuries old, and well…he doesn't look it."

Saber didn't look impressed, and after a moment Irisviel giggled. "Alright," she said. "Father does look his age…but Humans – even artificial ones such as us – aren't meant to age as much as he has. At least, not without magic…"

Irisviel sighed and kicked her swing off a few times before slowing to a halt and staring up at a sky steadily growing overcast. "Matou…" she murmured. "She doesn't look anything like one of that family…same name…outcast…descendant of outcasts…or is it something else?"

"But if she really is her age?" Saber asked softly, and Irisviel lowered her face and closed her eyes for several moments. And when she opened them again, she hesitantly gave an answer.

"I don't know."

* * *

"We're being watched."

"I know."

Sakura made a sound of disgust, and looking both ways turned down the street from the café. She walked down to the stoplight, turned, and walked further along to the next corner. Crossing, she continued, and then after a good distance turned and entered an empty alley.

Walking down to the end, she turned a corner and took a few steps before turning, grabbing Assassin by the wrist and quickly turning the planned strike aside. Sakura's free hand rose, jabbing forward and forcing Assassin to dodge before the Servant counterattacked with her feet.

Sakura let go of the Assassin's wrist, blocking with her arms and thighs and giving way to root herself before counterattacking. Strikes were launched, dodged, and parried with equal measure by both sides for several minutes, before Sakura finally slipped through Assassin's guard and delivered a solid kick to her torso…but as Assassin flew back, a dagger flew from her hand only to be caught mere inches from Sakura's eye, keeping the summoner from following through.

And to Sakura's surprise, Assassin did not immediately attack once she'd regained her breath. Instead, she further surprised Sakura, by giving a Chinese-style salute, right fist against the left palm, and bowed.

" _So it's true._ " Assassin said, speaking in Mandarin Chinese. " _We had suspicions following our engagement in previous nights. It took time for us to realize it, after calming our anger at our defeat and the loss of so many of us, and to notice what was to be noticed where and when it was not expected to be._ "

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?" she asked, speaking in Japanese.

Assassin tilted her head. " _You are a student of Zhang Sanfeng, are you not?_ " she asked.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, and then narrowed in realization. And then giving a Chinese-style salute herself, bowed. " _It's true then._ " She said, speaking in lightly-accented Mandarin Chinese. " _I thought it was just a story, but it looks like I was wrong. The Hashashin really did have connections with the Ming Cult that would later give birth to the Ming Dynasty._ "

" _So we did._ " Assassin confirmed with a nod. " _We are correct then? You truly are a student of Zhang Sanfeng?_ "

" _You are. I am indeed one of Master Zhang's students._ "

" _How?_ "

" _Master Zhang is an immortal._ " Sakura said. " _He eventually withdrew to his own domain within the Expanse, where he spends his days…being…well, carefree, and teaching the occasional student who makes their way to him every so often, seeking his wisdom._ "

Assassin chuckled. " _I see._ " She said. " _Master Zhang of Wudang was always quite eccentric. Wise and powerful, but eccentric for all that. How did you make your way, as you put it, to his domain?_ "

" _My uncle was also his student._ " Sakura answered with a shrug. " _It's complicated, and frankly none of your business. Uncle's history, that is. As for myself, uncle brought me to Master Zhang to teach me how to fight properly._ "

" _And you fight well,_ " Assassin said with a nod. " _As should be expected from one of Master Zhang's students._ "

Sakura narrowed her eyes. " _How did you know, anyway?_ " she asked. " _No, from the sound of things you figured out by remembering how I fought, but…how? I could easily be just another Tai Chi user, and playing you along with my words._ "

Assassin snorted. " _Tai Chi…what passes for it today is not what Master Zhang taught and perfected._ " She said. " _It is…distorted, changed, and not entirely for the better by the passing of time and the influence of lesser masters._ "

" _Perhaps…_ "

Assassin tilted her head and chuckled. " _We have crossed fists and paths with Master Zhang and his students in life,_ " she said. " _We know what his Kung Fu looks like, and no matter how individualized it might be, how the Kung Fu of those he taught it in person would appear. Tai Chi Fist and Cloud Ascending Ladder…_ "

Sakura tilted her head. "So now what?" she asked in Japanese.

"We came of our own initiative," Assassin said, also speaking in Japanese. "To confirm our suspicions, and to exchange greetings from one master to another in the event they were true."

Sakura chuckled and shook her head. "Not a master," she said. "Not even close."

Assassin nodded. "Perhaps it's as you say," she conceded. "But regardless, it is an honor to meet one of Master Zhang's students, and your skill honors your master. Even those of us who fell to you in battle, are honored to have fallen before such a worthy foe."

"That…doesn't really my question. What now?"

Assassin chuckled and tilted her head again. "Do you wish for us to keep this secret?" she asked. "If our Master asks, we must of course inform him of what we have learned today, but if you wish it we will withhold the information until he asks for it."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, and after a moment smiled and briefly closed her eyes. "Do as you like." She said while opening her eyes, and Assassin laughed.

"So be it." She said, before giving another Chinese-style salute. "I take my leave then."

Sakura returned the salute and gave a polite bow. "It was an honor," she genuinely said. "Old Man of the Mountain."

Sakura couldn't see it, but behind her mask, Assassin smiled at the summoner's words. In the next moment, Assassin was gone, leaving Sakura in the alley lone. For several moments she just stood there, silently staring at the spot where Assassin had been standing at, Pixie unwilling to break her reverie. And then taking a deep breath, Sakura ran a hand through her hair, and looked up at the sky.

"Well…that was a thing."

* * *

A/N

I added some references to wuxia here, specifically from the works of Jin Yong. It seemed to fit, given Tohsaka originally focused on martial arts to reach the Root, though it is a secondary path given their primary path being Jewel Magecraft (and the Greater Grail). Plus, it's _wuxia_. It's awesome. Minor spoiler really, but Rin also gets some wuxia-grade martial arts eventually, to the point that Luvia could shoot her full of Gandr rounds and they'll all just bounce off her, such is her mastery of her _qi_.

Sorry Luvia, but in this timeline, your Kung Fu just won't be as strong as Rin's.

Speaking of Luvia…she's actually the basis why I don't think Sakura being able to speak four languages (English, Japanese, German, and Mandarin Chinese) is overdone. Luvia can speak at least three languages: Finnish since she was born in Finland, English, since she studies in Britain, and French, since French is _the_ language of European nobility. She likely speaks German too, for increased flexibility in case she needs to go around Europe, possibly Russian even (Finland is right next to Russia), and of course, Japanese (she went to Japan in Prisma and may have learned it to impress 'Shero' in Ataraxia and UBW).


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Chapter 9

"…on other news today, the police have released a list of names of individuals who disappeared last night. Said individuals are all suspected of being connected to organized crime…"

"Hey Sakura," Pixie called, and prompting a napping Sakura to open her eyes.

"What?"

"We're on the news."

"WHAT?"

Sakura shot up at that. "Well, not actually _us_ ," Pixie corrected. "More like our sacrifices last night. The police noticed, and publicly announced they've started an investigation on the disappearances."

"…reason to suspect that these recent disappearances may be connected with the abductions of children in recent days." the police officer on the screen was saying. "It is possible that the latter was part of a Human trafficking scheme by one syndicate, and that the previous night's disappearances are a reactionary response by another syndicate…"

"Turn it off or change the channel," Sakura said in disgust while falling back into her pillows. "The police can look all they want, they won't find anything, be it about what we did to those worthless pieces of trash, or about the magus abducting children and no doubt using them for some ritual or another."

"About that," Pixie said. "You sure you don't want to do anything about the latter?"

"Why should I?"

"They're in the same spot you were in fourteen years ago." Pixie said.

"…I was lucky." Sakura said bitterly, and covering her eyes. "I didn't have to be. Not everyone is."

"Sakura…"

"Besides," Sakura continued. "If that's how they roll, then let them. It's not like they're getting in my way, are they? If I can do what I want within my power, then others can also do what they want within their power. I'm not a hypocrite. Not like my liar of a father or my weakling mother…but if others get in my way or I get in others' way…then I'll decide it as it should be: might makes right."

"…I see." Pixie said sadly. "But, that magus seems to be targeting children indiscriminately. What if your sister…?"

Sakura didn't answer at once, but after a few moments she uncovered her eyes. "In that case," she said. "It becomes my problem."

"And then what?"

"Crossed paths…" Sakura murmured after a moment. "Which is the correct route past? The victor is always right, so I'll challenge and crush them, and make the right choice of way past."

"…I see."

* * *

"Hey, master?"

"What is it, Ryuunosuke?"

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"Why yes, indeed I am."

There were two of them. One was a young man of average height, with loosely-combed brown hair, dressed in a white shirt under a violet jacket and over matching pants. The other was an older man, who towered over his companion and wore clothes that would not look out of place in a Renaissance Fair, colored in dark violet though his elaborate collar had varying shades of that same color. The man's eyes bulged from his face, and thin lines arranged in arcane patterns were tattooed over his hands.

The two of them stood before an…icon, for lack of a better way to call it. A…man, flayed and blinded, had been impaled on a wooden stake, though not completely so, as the stake's point didn't extend out of his mouth. Sigils that would have the eyes of most who looked on it bleed had been crudely carved onto the man's skin, and barbed wire bound man and stake alike tightly, for no reason other than to cause even greater agony, as the man was already immobile.

For one thing, he was already impaled. For another thing, his limbs had been broken and his ligaments torn out.

But for all that, the man was still _alive_. And by all rights he should be screaming and writhing in his agony…but he _couldn't_. His throat was cut, impossibly enough, as it would have left him unable to breath, and yet…there it was.

The man's jaw had been wired open, and through his open mouth, his curious audience could see that his tongue had been removed as well. Bland, compared to the rest of what had been done to him, though they could appreciate the presence of the basics on what was otherwise the work of a master.

More interesting was how the man's blood did not touch the ground, instead turning into wisps of oily…shadow, as it dripped down from his body, through the air or along the stake, and vanished in moments. The icon as a whole poured out terror and agony in wave-like amounts, inundating the surrounding area. Rats, insects, birds, and other kinds of animals and vermin had already abandoned the place, and the workers who worked in this section of the waterfront subconsciously avoided it.

It had also drawn the attention of Caster's familiars, and it was that which had drawn him and his Master, Uryuu Ryuunosuke, to this place. And for them, such great terror and agony…

…it was like the finest of wines.

"C-C-C-C-C-COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!" Ryuunosuke gushed, literally jumping and flailing about in joy. "Master, do you know what this means?"

"Indeed I do, Ryuunosuke." Caster said with a nod. While not as expressive as his Master, the Servant's face showed respect and awe at the icon before them. "Another artist is present, and one of great achievement indeed!"

"There are more of these things around here, aren't they?"

"There are." Caster continued. "It seems they are meant to protect something further past this point, something more important than they are."

Ryuunosuke made a sound of awe and delight. "Let's go see, master!" he said, stepping forward only to be stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.

"We mustn't, Ryuunosuke!" Caster said.

"Eh? But why, master? Don't you want to see what else is there?" Ryuunosuke asked. "I mean…if what's meant to keep people away is already so cool, then I'm sure what they're protecting is even cooler!"

"Oh yes, I agree. That is almost certainly the case." Caster said with a nod. "And I admit I am most curious myself. And yet…it would be most discourteous, would it not?"

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

Caster tutted, a finger wagging in the air almost like a schoolteacher admonishing a student. "Think about it, Ryuunosuke." He said. "And put yourself in the other artist's shoes. Let's say you were preparing a grand masterpiece, or had prepared one, and were waiting only for the most proper time to show it to all the world! Would you appreciate it if one came uninvited, and witnessed it before it could be at its greatest and most magnificent?"

"Oh I see what you mean, master!" Ryuunosuke said, frantically nodding. "Don't spoil the show, right? I see…it'd be really uncool if we did that. But…"

Ryuunosuke sighed and slumped theatrically in disappointment. "It's just a shame, that's all." He said. "I really wanted to see whatever really cool stuff the guy behind this has also made."

"Patience is a virtue, Ryuunosuke." Caster said, placing an arm around Ryuunosuke's shoulders and guiding him away. "And I'm sure that all the anticipation and frustration that comes with waiting for the unveiling of whatever spectacle is waiting behind such guardians are sure to make its unveiling all the more enjoyable than it would otherwise be."

Ryuunosuke nodded slowly. "You're right, master." He said with a grin. "Heh…there's a silver lining to everything, isn't there? But, you know what master?"

"What is it, Ryuunosuke?"

"Apart from seeing whatever cool stuff is going to get shown eventually," Ryuunosuke said eagerly. "What I really want to do is meet the great guy behind it, and those things back there too! I'm sure we can learn all sorts of cool and fun stuff from each other, and be really good friends! Don't you think so, master?"

"Well said, Ryuunosuke!" Caster said with a smile. "Truly, as the old saying goes, birds of the same feather will flock together! And indeed, no matter how great and magnificent an artist might be on their own, if they should work together with a peer and an equal, then the result could only be far greater and more magnificent than they could each achieve on their own!"

"That's right, master! COOOOOOOOOOOOL!"

Cheerful and deranged laughter echoing into the night, Caster and Ryuunosuke vanished into the evening.

* * *

"Ah-Choo! Ah-Choo! Ah-Choo!"

"My, my, bless you my dear."

"Thanks, Missus Mackenzie." Sakura said, wiping her nose. "Someone out there must be talking bad about me. Oh well, I don't really care to be honest."

Martha Mackenzie chuckled at that, going back to slicing fresh vegetables on the counter, the two women preparing dinner for tonight. "My, my," she said. "I didn't expect you to believe in such superstitions."

Sakura shrugged, stirring the sauce in the saucepan on the stove with one hand. "You never know with these things." She said.

"True enough."

Martha and Sakura cooked in silence for a while, but after a few minutes Martha took over the stove. "Sakura dear," she said. "Do you mind bringing a pitcher of water to the living room for Waver and his big friend? Oh, and there should be some biscuits in a tin in the cabinet over there. Bring them over as well, if you please."

"Right away!"

Sakura walked off, opening a cabinet to pull out a tray, on which she placed a pitcher of water from the fridge, followed by several glasses. Then walking over to the cabinet indicated earlier, she found the biscuit tin, and placing it on the tray lifted the whole set easily. "I'll be going then." She said.

"Alright dear, but don't rush now."

"Yes, Missus Mackenzie."

"Oh, and please tell them dinner should be ready in about…twenty minutes, at most."

"I will."

"Thank you, dear."

* * *

"Still playing video games, I see." Sakura observed as she entered the living room.

"Is that a problem?" Rider observed, playing video games along with Waver, sitting in front of the TV. Well, Rider was playing, while the sweating Waver was clearly trying to catch up what with the awkward movements he was making while trying to use the controller.

"Not really, just making an observation." Sakura said, setting what she'd brought from the kitchen down on the table. "Missus Mackenzie said dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes or less, but in the meantime, this should deal with any hunger pangs you might get."

"Hmm? Oh, biscuits…yeah, that'll do." Rider said, taking a biscuit after Sakura had opened the tin. "You want some, Waver?"

"Huh? Oh I…um…yes, please."

Rider grinned, taking several biscuits from the tin. "Help yourself," he said, Waver reaching over to get some biscuits for himself. Sakura watched them eat and play another round before nodding and making to return to the kitchen.

"Well then," she said. "I'm going to go and help Missus Mackenzie back in the kitchen, alright?"

"Okay!"

"No problem!"

* * *

Specter watched from the shadows of the trees as Kayneth approached Castle von Einzbern from the front. One of Sakura's drones had spotted the magus leave his hideout, and make his way across the city in the direction of the forest wherein lay Castle von Einzbern. Quickly determining that Kayneth was planning to engage in reprisal for the destruction of his primary base, Sakura had reinforced her reconnaissance capabilities, summoning Specter and sending it to get as close as possible while avoiding detection, and to witness the whole battle in detail. It was something a drone couldn't do, given how it was likely the battle would take place inside the mansion.

As Specter watched, Kayneth opened a metal test tube, and poured out mercury onto the ground. A _lot_ of mercury, more than what a test tube should be able to hold, but then again…magic.

"Fervor, mei sanguis…"

The front doors of Castle von Einzbern were literally blown apart mere moments after Kayneth spoke his aria, the tall man passing through the ruined entrance and into the hall beyond. A blob of mercury soundlessly rolled along beside the man, who waited for the dust to clear before speaking up.

"I am the Ninth Head of the House of Archibald, Kayneth El-Melloi." Kayneth formally introduced himself. "Einzbern magi, let us duel for the Holy Grail and our lives."

There was no response, and Kayneth's face grew stern as he slowly swept his gaze across the hall for any signs of life. A flicker of motion caught his attention, and he narrowed his eyes at a CCTV swiveling to face in his direction. Kayneth smiled in amusement, keeping an eye on the CCTV while walking forward into the hall.

He'd barely taken a few steps when a series of explosions tore through the hall, shaking the mansion to its very foundation, dust and shrapnel filling the hall's interior. For a couple of minutes, the only thing that could be seen in the hall were the clouds of smoke and dust, but then they cleared, revealing a perfectly-spherical sphere of gleaming mercury in the middle of the hall. After a moment and it opened up, revealing the completely unharmed and unamused Kayneth standing within.

"Traps, is it?" he said softly and dangerously. "How low…very well. This is no longer a battle. It is extermination!"

Watching from the shadows, Specter briefly pulled back, and summoned others like itself. Now grown into a pack of four, the Specters flitted from shadow to shadow, across the hall and following Kayneth as he cut through the ceiling to his quarry. Hidden in the shadows, the demons watched as Kiritsugu emptied an entire clip's worth of ammunition in vain against Kayneth, the bullets just expending themselves harmlessly against Kayneth's mystic code.

And then to the demons' surprise, Kayneth's counterattack turned out to be just as effective, Kiritsugu quickly avoiding the tendrils of mercury lashing out at him and leaping past Kayneth. No…not quickly, the demons reflected. Time had been _bent_ …somehow, the man having altered the flow to have it faster for him than for the rest of this world.

What an interesting development…their summoner would be very interested in this, even more so when Kayneth dissected how Kiritsugu had done it. But that was for later, when they reported to her, and right now they just followed Kayneth as he returned to the ground floor, flitting from shadow to shadow, watching as Kayneth pursued Kiritsugu.

* * *

The Contender fired, sending a .30-30 round through the air, and punching through Volumen Hydragyrum and Kayneth's left shoulder. The magus staggered from the impact, the massive round rocking him back a couple of steps, pain erupting from the wound even as blood poured out and stained into the magus' clothes.

But if Kiritsugu thought that would be enough (not that he did)…

"Scalp!" Kayneth spat. Mercury lanced out at the so-called Magus Killer, but the man had gotten the mystic code's measure, and without even resorting to his time alteration mystery, wove around and past Volumen Hydragyrum.

Raising his other weapon, he opened fire on full-auto, Volumen Hydragyrum quickly switching to the defensive and blocking Kiritsugu's fire. The gun roared…and then clicked on empty, Kiritsugu throwing a grenade before retreating.

The explosion tore up the corridor, but as the dust and smoke cleared, Volumen Hydragyrum stood unblemished and unharmed, Kayneth breathing hard and clutching his injured shoulder behind it. "He broke through Volumen Hydragyrum's defense…" the magus breathed, his mystic code flowing back into a blob beside him. "…I was careless…I need to be faster and more careful from here on out!"

Pulling his hand away from his shoulder, Kayneth stared at his own blood for several moments before closing his hand into a shaking fist. "Trash…!" he spat as he resumed the pursuit, Volumen Hydragyrum responding to his emotion and lashing out to tear her surroundings apart. "Disgrace to all magi! How dare he spill my blood?"

Abruptly Kayneth stopped and drew himself up. "You think I do not feel your spies cowering in the shadows, Matou?" he spat. "But at the very least, you do things properly! Now watch, watch as much as you want, as I make an example of that cur, Kiritsugu Emiya!"

Volumen Hydragyrum lashed out again, tearing up their surroundings further, the only response being the faintest hint of ghostly laughter from around them. Kayneth snarled but said nothing more, and simply resumed his pursuit instead.

* * *

The Specters flitted from shadow to shadow, continuing to follow Kayneth as he pursued Kiritsugu through the castle. Explosions from traps ripped through the castle several times, each time doing no damage to their immaterial selves, or for that matter, to Kayneth, protected as he was by his mystic code.

That the magus was able to sense their presence came as a mix of surprise and shock, though in hindsight, it should not have been. Limited the man might have been to the local system of rules as opposed to the universal system that governed all of creation under the Great Will, but…the supernatural was still the supernatural. Common ground was much wider than it might seem to most.

Though, if he could sense them, then he might still be able to hurt them. Thankfully though, it seemed that he no intention of doing so…for now. No, it seems the magus wanted them to witness for their summoner his making an example of Kiritsugu Emiya.

Whether he would succeed in that last though…well, they would see. _Now_ , apparently, given Kayneth had finally managed to corner his prey. Their ghostly laughter echoed faintly as Kayneth ranted against Kiritsugu, of how he would make Kiritsugu beg for death after being subjected to horrific torment as punishment for making light of him.

How delightful!

Humans…once they discarded the veneer of civilization, nobility, and other such artificialities that they donned…truly they were no different from the beings of the supernatural!

Kiritsugu's response was to raise his primary weapon, and to open fire on full-auto. The Specters watched with interest as Volumen Hydragyrum used a thicker, and more compact defensive form this time. Instead of a single, relatively-thin layer of mercury, the mystic code compacted itself, forming a bunch of twisted, cable-like pillars that provided a thicker between its user and his opponent.

And then while firing his primary weapon, Kiritsugu raised his other weapon and aimed it at the magus and his defense. The Specters watched and waited, eager to see how the battle would go. The gun fired, and the bullet was blocked…

…and mercury exploded as the force which animated it ceased to be, the Specters stunned to silence. Kayneth stood in place, shaking and swaying, and then clawing at his chest, vomited blood and bile before collapsing with a splash into his ruined mystic code. For several long moments, the battlefield was still and silent, save for Kayneth's heavy and labored breathing, and then Kiritsugu reloaded, and stepping forward…

…in the next instant he pulled up his primary weapon and again, opened fire on full-auto. Sparks flew through the air, along with golden arcs as Lancer parried each and every shot fired by Kiritsugu, until at last the gun clicked on an empty chamber.

For a long moment, Kiritsugu and Lancer stared at each other, and then the latter spoke. "You realize I can easily skewer you from here, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes, I do." Kiritsugu admitted, already readying a command spell just in case.

Lancer narrowed his eyes, and then reached down to sling Kayneth over a shoulder. "I will not allow you to kill my Master." Lancer coldly told Kiritsugu. "And so long as you remain where you are, I will not harm you. But know this: the only reason you still live is due to the fact that it would dishonor the King of Knights to slay you where you stand."

Kiritsugu said nothing, and just as silent Lancer leapt out of a broken window and out across the forest beyond. Carefully but quickly, Kiritsugu moved to watch out of a window Lancer do so, not noticing the Specters flitting through the darkened corridor to position themselves around him.

The man was dangerous. Truly, the title of 'Magus Killer' was well-earned. Dangerous, perhaps even to their summoner. And while they had not been given the order to attack, neither had they been ordered not to. Here was an opportunity to take a potential threat off the board, and it would only take one of them to deliver all they had witnessed back to their summoner.

One Specter departed, and the remaining four Specters made to use their last resort. Once the one tasked with reporting to their summoner was clear…

…Castle von Einzbern, and much of the surrounding forest, were blown apart.

* * *

"Well," Sakura said, blinking at the report from one of her drones. "That was an interesting development."

Rider and Waver turned to her, the three of them sitting in the Mackenzies' living room after dinner. Sakura had _tried_ to help with washing after dinner, but had been shooed away by Glen, who insisted on being the one to help his wife, and that Sakura should just go and spend some time with Waver instead.

"Did something happen?" Waver asked.

"It seems that Lord El-Melloi went after Einzbern, in response to that little stunt last night which blew up the hotel he was staying at." Sakura said. "Unfortunately, it seems that Einzbern was expecting just that, and some henchman of theirs faced off against Lord El-Melloi. It didn't end well."

Waver gasped. "No way," he said. "Lord El-Melloi…defeated…just like that…that's just…"

Sakura chuckled. "Oh?" she said. "I thought you didn't like Lord El-Melloi."

"I don't." Waver said with his cheeks pink. "But…he's also one of the most powerful and gifted magi alive today. Even I have to admit that. To think he was defeated so easily…"

"Well, he was." Sakura said with a shrug. "I don't know how, at least until my summons who were watching from inside get back. However, he's still alive. Lancer managed to get him away before the henchman could finish the job, though from the look of things while they were retreating, Lord El-Melloi's not in particularly good shape."

"Hmm…I see…" Rider said, tapping at his chin. "And how chivalrous of Saber too, to allow Lancer to get away with his Master."

"From the look of things," Sakura mentioned. "Saber and Lancer didn't seem to have confronted each other."

"What?"

"If I had to guess," Sakura said with spread hands and a shrug. "Saber was busy protecting her Master elsewhere, while that henchman of theirs dealt with Lord El-Melloi."

"I see, so that's how it is. Though if that's the case, I wonder why Lord El-Melloi didn't use Lancer against the Einzbern's retainer?"

"Maybe Lord El-Melloi wanted to defeat the retainer by himself?" Waver asked. "Lord El-Melloi might have assumed asking his Servant to do so would be overkill, and in any case, if it's a battle between magi, considering the way Lord El-Melloi thinks, well, even if he finds his enemies below him, he'd still insist on doing things properly."

"Defeating the retainer by himself, and then the master behind them, counting only on his own skills and talents?" Rider said, and Waver nodded. "Well now, that is a surprise. Considering how he talked back there…"

Rider trailed off, stroking his chin before smiling. "Perhaps he might not be a lost cause after all," he said to Waver and Sakura. "Seeing as it would seem he at least understands that achievement must be earned, and is willing to risk all to prove himself. If this defeat teaches him humility…yes…"

Waver and Sakura glanced at each other, and then shared a shrug. In any case, Rider did have a point, and Sakura mentally reevaluated her evaluation of the Lord El-Melloi. Perhaps he wasn't quite a lost cause after all, just as Rider said.

That said…

" _It's probably best not to tell them Specter – probably more than one from the scale of the explosion – self-destructed and blew up the castle once Lancer and Lord El-Melloi left._ " Sakura thought. " _They might not take it too well. Ah well, I guess Pixie's been avenged by proxy. How do you like being blown up for a change, asshole? Try and blow up my best friend…you got what you deserved, you son of a bitch._ "

Sakura smiled and turning her head at the sound of approaching footsteps, expressed interest along with Waver and Rider as Glen arrived with ice cream to share between them all.

 _Now then…how will this affect the course of the war in the coming days, now that Einzbern's lost their henchman?_

* * *

A/N

Turnabout's fair play, as the Irish love to say. Kiritsugu's probably never been blown up before, let's see how he likes it for a change.

Yeah, I sped up the battle between Kiri and Kayneth, but hey we've watched it all before. No need to go into its details, just the general drift and some commentary from Sakura's demonic spies should do.

One last thing: wow, writing Ryuunosuke turned out much easier than expected, and very fun too.


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Chapter 10

Surprisingly, the bounded field surrounding the forest in the outskirts of Fuyuki City managed to avoid collapsing despite a massive, cumulative explosion with the Almighty property ripping out the heart of the magical presence in the forest. As it was, the field held, keeping the force and signs of the explosion hidden from those outside of the field, even from magi, unless they were specifically looking for it.

Of course, this would also mean that if the forest fire started by the explosion went out of control, it would rage until the entire forest was burned down or the field collapsed. With the field up after all, no one could notice the fire, and only when it fell and they noticed could they take action.

Thankfully though, between a combination of evergreens and snow, the fires while raging furiously, did not spread overmuch. The large amounts of smoke and dust sent into the air also precipitated some rain, soaking the undergrowth that could have served as fuel and kindling, checking the fires' spread and putting out the weaker ones. Unable to spread, the stronger ones would inevitably die once their readily-available fuel was spent, though they might smoke and seethe with leftover heat for a time.

Another unfortunate consequence of the field remaining was that anyone caught in the explosion wouldn't be found and helped in time. At least…that's what normally would happen, what with the field keeping outsiders from noticing anything of real import happening within.

Saber, however, had a connection with her Master. That connection allowed her to be provided prana to keep her in the World, and to use her Noble Phantasms with. It also allowed them to communicate telepathically, to feel what the other felt (to an extent), and for the Master to use his command spells if needed.

And despite appearances, Irisviel von Einzbern was _not_ her Master (though perhaps Saber might have preferred her to be). That was in fact, the whole point, to make other Masters and Servants think that was the case, focusing on Irisviel and leaving their backs open to her true Master, Kiritsugu Emiya.

It also allowed Saber to sense her Master was in trouble, very much so. Leaving Irisviel in the care of Kiritsugu's assistant and apprentice (of a sort) Maiya and safe behind the bounded fields of a Japanese-style mansion in the suburbs, Saber would have raced across the city to where her Master was and assist him in what was clearly his trap being turned against him.

 _Had Lancer perhaps joined the battle, despite Kiritsugu's prediction that the Lord El-Melloi would prefer to engage him in person?_

 _Or is it something else?_

However, the keywords there were 'would have'.

Just as Saber was being to leap across the skyline of the suburbs, she felt a command spell being invoked, and a command being forced through their link, which to her horror, she found dangerously and tenuously thin. And the command itself…it was so… _heavy_ , with pain, a phantom sensation that she realized in hindsight she had somehow missed filtering through their connection.

Passing through a magic circle which appeared in the air before her, Saber instantly traversed the vast distance between her and her Master, and found herself standing amidst familiar sights and familiar smells. Burning ruins…burning forests…all that was lacking were the corpses and the stink of blood and death, and she'd swear she was back in time, within another village pillaged and burned by marauding Saxon barbarians.

But no…this wasn't her kingdom, nor the time she had ruled in. This was the small castle Irisviel's family had owned in the forest outside the city, in the present, where Kiritsugu had expected the Lord El-Melloi to come in challenge following the destruction of his base of operations, and where Kiritsugu would defeat him, thus taking him and possibly Lancer off the board.

Personally, Saber had hoped it wouldn't be like that. Strategically-speaking, she agreed that taking out Lancer's Master and Lancer himself both at the same time would be a big step towards their goal of the Holy Grail, but…

…it didn't feel right, to eliminate Lancer without finishing their interrupted battle just days past.

Admittedly it was riskier, foolish even, as against a noble and worthy opponent like the Knight of Fianna, Saber would admit even one such as she wasn't guaranteed to win. No, to assume so would be undeserved arrogance on her part, and insulting to a fellow knight.

Even if it risked her wish…

…the loss of the Lord El-Melloi in honorable combat she could look forward to. Lancer's defeat by default was not. If and when he (or perhaps Saber herself) falls, it must be in honorable combat as well, against a worthy opponent. Anything less was simply unsuitable for a knight such as they were.

But more to the point…

…what happened here?

This devastation…could Kiritsugu's trap have accidentally gone off before the appointed time? Or were his explosives stronger than expected, leading him to get caught in his own handiwork? Or, was it something else?

Lancer…none of his Noble Phantasms would have this effect. Was it the Lord El-Melloi's handiwork? If so, then he must still be nearby, to have worked the magic that resulted in this outcome, and to confirm Kiritsugu's fate. And just in case Kiritsugu lived…

…the _coup de grace_ had to be delivered.

Though now that she was here, he was probably retreating, unless he wanted to have Lancer engage her. If so, then here and now…she'd be at a disadvantage. She'd have to fight Lancer _and_ protect her Master – he was still alive having used a command spell just now and Saber could sense it as well – at the same time, and she was uncertain if she could do both.

Thankfully though, Saber couldn't sense the presence of other Servants or Masters nearby. Either the Lord El-Melloi had retreated…

…or others were behind this, though again, given she couldn't sense them, they'd probably retreated too. At her arrival…or assuming Kiritsugu was dead?

Where was he anyway? Where was her Master?

A flicker of movement along with the sound of shallow, wet, and labored breathing drew Saber's attention, following by the all too familiar smell of blood and burning flesh. Turning her head, Saber gasped and her eyes widened at the sight that met her.

Kiritsugu…there was no mistaking it with their link…he was crawling towards her, dragging himself forward with his right hand. His hair, clothes, and skin had all been burned off, leaving him with third and fourth-degree burns all over, and his left arm and legs had all been blown off.

"Kiritsugu!" Saber shouted, running to and kneeling down beside her Master. With a rasping sigh, Kiritsugu relaxed, ceasing his struggle to reach Saber, rolling onto his back to stare at her with bloodshot, pus-leaking eyes.

"I…I…Ir…Iris…" Kiritsugu rasped. Saber nodded her understanding, aware of Irisviel's proficiency in healing magecraft. The need was certainly clear enough.

"Yes, I understand." She said, reaching down to gently pick up her shattered Master. "Hang in there, Kiritsugu. I'll get you to Irisviel as quick as I can, but it'll take time. You have to hold out, otherwise there's nothing she could do!"

"N…no…t…ti…"

"Kiritsugu?"

Kiritsugu shakily lifted his arm, symbols flashing and then vanishing as a second command spell was used. Saber blinked, and nodding once stood before jumping through the magic circle, traversing space in an instant and landing in the yard of the mansion in the suburbs.

Moments later and Kiri and Maiya appeared, sliding the doors outside open. "Saber, w…" Irisviel began, and then her eyes widened as she took in her husband's appearance. Even burned, she knew him at a glance.

" **KIRI!** "

* * *

Kayneth's eyes flashed open as he awoke, his last conscious memory that of excruciating pain tearing through his flesh as a result of Emiya's attack. But why…he remembered succeeding in blocking that disgrace of magus' attack, but afterwards…

Struggling to move, Kayneth grimaced as agony briefly flashed through his body. "Where am I?" he demanded, noticing that he was bound tightly to a gurney.

"Oh," Sola observed as she entered the room, drawn by the sound of Kayneth's voice or that of his restraints against the gurney. "You're awake, I see."

"Sola…!" Kayneth ground out through a haze of pain. "What's the meaning of this?"

"You don't remember?" Sola asked as she placed a basin of water on a nearby bed and soaked a towel in the liquid.

"I…" Kayneth began, struggling to remember. "…I was shot. I defended myself using Volumen Hydragyrum but…what happened after that?"

"It would seem that your magic circuits have been destroyed." Sola said, washing Kayneth's arm with the wet towel, Kayneth unable to see the malicious and triumphant light in the woman's eyes. "It's a miracle that you didn't die then and there."

Agony, shame, and grief filled Kayneth's mind, the stricken man grinding his teeth as tears began to run from his eyes in grief over the loss of his ability to use magic. For a magus of a distinguished lineage of magi that could be traced back for centuries…death would be preferable to what had been lost. "I managed to restore your organs to functionality, but unfortunately the same cannot be said for your magic circuits." Sola continued. "You'll never be able to use magecraft ever again."

"I…I…"

"Now, now, don't cry Kayneth." Sola said with a smile, wiping the tears from Kayneth's face. The light in her eyes aside, had Kayneth's mind not been so clouded, he'd have noticed the sheer sadistic delight in Sola's smile, and the mockery that her comforting words truly were. "It's too soon to give up. We haven't lost yet."

"...Sola…"

"If the Holy Grail truly has the power to grant wishes," Sola solemnly proclaimed. "Then restoring what you've lost should be an easy matter. We only need to win, and everything will be as it should be. That's why Kayneth: give me your command spells. I'll become Lancer's Master, and bring you the Holy Grail at the end of this contest."

Kayneth's eyes widened in surprise, Sola's words burning through the chaos of thought and emotion clouding his mind, and then Kayneth's eyes narrowed in realization. The dangers of being involved in the Holy Grail War aside, he had suspected for some time now that she was infatuated with Lancer. And that suspicion could no longer be doubted.

It could not be allowed. He would _not_ allow it. "N-no…!" he spat out.

"You don't trust me?" Sola asked, her expression plainly malicious now. "You don't trust the woman found worthy of marrying into the House of Archibald?"

"No…it's not that…Sola, do you really think that Lancer would abandon me so easily and swear himself to you?"

"Of course I do." Sola said, washing the hand of the arm marked with Kayneth's remaining command spells. "He is a Heroic Spirit summoned into the World by the power of the Holy Grail. And just like us, he seeks it for the sake of his wish. That's why I know: for the sake of his wish, he will swear allegiance to me, if that's what's needed to win."

"Sola…!" Kayneth cried out. "Lancer isn't as you think he is!"

Sola tilted her head in mild curiosity. "What makes you say that?" she asked.

"When I asked him what he sought to offer to the Grail, he told me that he had nothing to offer to it." Kayneth ground out in rage and disbelief. "However, there is no such thing as a Servant without a desire! It is impossible! He's hiding something, but so long as I bear my command spells, then he has no choice but to obey me!"

"Kayneth…"

"I will not give you my command spells!" Kayneth firmly thundered, the tone of his voice brooking no further discussion of the matter.

Sola sighed with resignation, and shook her head. "Kayneth, don't you understand?" she asked. "We must win, no matter what."

Dropping the wet towel to the floor, Sola took hold of Kayneth's little finger and _pulled_. She pulled until it reach its limit, and just kept on pulling. And with a popping of torn ligaments and breaking cartilage, Kayneth's little finger bent back in a way it was never meant to bend.

To his credit, Kayneth didn't cry out even once, merely staring in horror as the woman he loved broke his finger. "Listen well Kayneth," Sola said with a poisonous smile. "Not even someone as skilled in healing magecraft such as myself is capable of removing command spells on my own. I can only take them with the permission of the original owner. Under normal circumstances, that is. Kayneth, if you will not comply, then I will have no choice but to simply remove your entire right arm. So, what will it be?"

* * *

"Lady Sola," Lancer asked as he walked up to where Sola was looking up at the Moon. "What is my lord's condition?"

"I'm not certain to be honest." Sola replied, and then she noticed Lancer's downcast expression. "Oh, don't be so hard on yourself! It wasn't your fault that he got himself hurt so badly fighting that Kiritsugu Emiya."

"No, that's…I…"

"Diarmuid," Sola said, turning to and walking closer towards Lancer. "He is unworthy of being your Master."

Lancer eyes widened in surprise, his face twisting in veiled horror as he recognized something all too familiar: a woman had fallen prey yet again to his mystic face. "He has abandoned the contest." Sola said with a desperate smile, and one Lancer found all too similar to Grainne's own on that fateful night.

Not recognizing Lancer's own despair and self-loathing, Sola held up her arm and displayed the command spells she'd taken from the fallen Lord El-Melloi. "I am your Master now." She slowly and triumphantly concluded.

Lancer stood silent for a long moment, and then he sighed. "I have already pledged myself to Kayneth." Lancer said with veiled resignation in his voice. "On my honor as a knight, I cannot acknowledge you as my Master."

Sola's expression turned from triumph to surprise, and then to rage. "Why?" she angrily demanded. "Have you not been sustained all this time in part by my prana? And now I have your command spells…I…!"

"I am a knight before a Servant." Lancer resolutely said, refusing to look at her, though deep down he already knew and dreaded how this would end. "And I am already sworn to one lord."

"Are…are you…" Sola stammered, shaking her head in disbelief and denial. "Are you saying that I am unworthy to be your Master?"

"That's not what I…"

"Look at me!" Sola shouted, unwilling to bear the thought that Lancer would be too ashamed to look at her. "Lancer, please…I'm begging you…win the Holy Grail by my side. Protect me…"

Lancer briefly glanced at Sola, and again reminded of his tragic romance with Grainne, turned and began to walk away. "…if Kayneth has abandoned this contest, then I have no reason to fight any further." He softly said.

Sola shook her head again, unable to say anything as she watched Lancer walk away, _away from her_ , and closing her eyes felt tears trickle out in despair, feeling her heart all but break at the sight. He couldn't…this wasn't…why would he…why couldn't…he…no…please Lancer…there was a way…but…

"We need a miracle to help him!" Sola finally shouted, and stopping Lancer in his footsteps. Sola opened her eyes, tears glistening on her cheeks, pushed past the brink by Lancer's refusal to accept her. "Something that only the Grail is capable of granting. If you truly feel responsible for him, if you are truly loyal to the Lord El-Melloi, then fight for your Master!"

"Lady Sola," Lancer softly said, finally turning to look at her. "Do you speak as the Lord El-Melloi's wife, and only for his sake?"

"O-Of course…" Sola responded while fidgeting and looking away. The words made her feel dirty, but if it meant Lancer would look at her, _be with her_ …then…

"Do you swear then, that you have no other desire than this?"

"...I…I swear as the wife of the Lord El-Melloi, that I shall deliver to him the Holy Grail."

Lancer was silent for a few moments, and then nodded once. Sola immediately brightened up, but then Lancer resumed walking away, again refusing to look at or to speak at her. Sola's smile fell at the sight, but then her face hardened in resolve, resolve lacking just moments ago. No matter what it would take, she _would_ make him accept her.

And Lancer knew it too.

 _"Grainne,_ " Lancer thought with equal parts sadness and bitterness as he walked away. " _And now Lady Sola…why…why must my desire to serve my lord and my lord alone always be denied? Why?_ "

* * *

"Interesting…"

Pixie glanced at Sakura as they walked back to their apartment, the little fairy sitting on the summoner's shoulder as usual. "What is?" Pixie asked.

"A drone provided some interesting information just now," Sakura answered. "While watching things over at Lord El-Melloi's new hideout."

"Oh?"

"Do you know why Diarmuid Ua Duibhne is also called Diarmuid of the Love Spot?"

"Actually, yes." Pixie said with a shrug. "The Loathly Lady is one of us Fair Folk after all. And she was one of many women, mortal or otherwise, to fall prey to that pretty face of his."

"…I am not allowing you to see that man. Who knows what might happen if you do."

"Hey! I resent that!"

"I can live with that."

Pixie stuck out her tongue and scoffed before falling silent for the next few moments. "And?" she finally prompted.

"To my knowledge," Sakura said after a moment. "That 'love spot' of his only works if you let it. If you fight the influence in any way, then it washes off. At least, that's what I know."

"Okay, and?"

Sakura smirked. "Lord El-Melloi's woman," she said. "It seems she let herself fall for him."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know, but I can guess." Sakura said. "An unwanted arranged marriage, and she allowed herself to fall for him in the hopes that maybe he'd take responsibility for her, like he did with Grainne."

"Ah…so that's how it is…"

"It might be." Sakura said with a shrug. "It's just something of an educated guess on my part. But if it is correct, and considering the way that woman was acting…I wonder…maybe she's…discontent, with her lot in life within magi society. Considering she was probably another case of being married off by a family which could care less about her…I can sympathize…oh yes, I definitely can."

Sakura's face twisted in an ugly sneer. "No matter what excuses and justification they use," she snarled. "Nothing can possibly justify forcing their own self-righteous beliefs and decisions on others without giving them the chance to choose for themselves! No matter how big the words they use, their supposed generosity, magnanimity, love and care, are nothing more than hypocrisy!"

Snarling with hate, Sakura abruptly turned to look out at the Mion river. " **MEGIDDO**!" she roared, lashing out with an arm, a massive explosion in the river's middle causing water to plume high into the sky. "They're just pretending to make themselves feel better! COWARDS! WEAKLINGS! **HYPOCRITES!** "

Pixie stayed silent as droplets of water were blown on the evening breeze, Sakura breathing heavily beside. "And when one stands up for themselves," Sakura darkly continued. "They accuse us of being ungrateful, selfish, and ignorant. What do they know? When have they been denied the freedom of choice that is the right of every living being in all of creation?"

Taking a deep breath, Sakura ran a hand through her hair, and taking another deep breath, resumed walking. "Sorry," she said to Pixie. "I lost control back there."

"It's fine." Pixie said with a nod.

Sakura nodded after a moment. "Assuming my assumptions are correct," she said softly. "Then just like Waver Velvet, no, maybe even more than him…that woman…Sola, I think her name was mentioned as, could be a useful recruit for our cause. The freedom to do as you please so long as you have the power to impose your will on the world around you…and the chance to earn the power you need to do just that…for someone enslaved by the oppressive edifice that dares to call itself noble and magnificent that is magi society…just like me…she won't be able to resist it. How can she? She knows and understands what being powerless and unable to resist hypocrisy is like, and more than that…it's the natural way of things. Deep down…in the very heart of her being…just like every living thing, she craves it. Freedom, and power, power to be free."

* * *

"I understand." Kirei said to his father with a nod. "I will inform Master Tokiomi immediately."

"No, that won't be necessary." Risei said. "I'll do it myself, along with the other Masters."

"Would not his opinion be needed on this matter, before we put it to action?" Kirei asked. "It may affect his strategy to win the contest, after all."

"This is more than just about winning the contest, Kirei." Risei said with a shake of his head. "Caster and their Master is running around doing as they please, and unless we bring them to heel soon, the other Masters might think they can do as they please as well. And if that happens, it's all too likely we'll face a situation similar to the previous war. No, it's already started in fact, as Kiritsugu Emiya's bombing of the Fuyuki Grand Hyatt Hotel during the previous night has shown."

"Should we not sanction him for that?"

Risei thought in silence for a few moments before shaking his head. "We'll give him a grace period of a sort." He said. "We'll make Caster and their Master into an example, and see if Emiya toes the line in the aftermath. If so, then all well and good, and if not…then we'll have to deal with him."

Kirei nodded in understanding. "There is just one issue though." He said.

"And that is?"

"Well, not one but two, and they are related to each other." Kirei said. "If the one who calls herself 'Sakura Matou' comes here, can the King of Heroes restrain himself?"

"He will respect the truce of this place, or I will make him respect it." Risei said resolutely. "I understand there will be consequences to such an action, but I am willing to face them, so long as it means I can fulfil my responsibilities."

"I understand."

"And the second issue?"

"Would she come?" Kirei asked. "In addition to impressing on the other Masters the necessity of bringing Caster and their Master to heel as well as the consequences of following in their footsteps, the other objective here is to reunite and set right the breach between Master Tokiomi and his daughter, is it not?"

Again, Risei was silent for several moments, and then he nodded a few times. "I think she will come, for appearance's sake at least." He said. "Magi are always like that."

"Would it work though?"

"As a first step, it will do." Risei said. "This, you may and should inform Tokiomi about."

Kirei nodded, and with a gesture Risei dismissed his son. Kirei bowed and left his father to his privacy, no doubt already communicating with Tokiomi their plans for tomorrow. As for Risei…

…using his command spells and his control over the Grail's systems, he reached out to every Master except for Caster's own. " _This is the Overseer of the Holy Grail War._ " Risei sent the message. " _All Masters are asked to come to Kotomine Church tomorrow morning, with regard to the subject of Caster and their Master's rampant and blatant disregard for the rules of conduct in the Holy Grail War, and measures to be taken in response thereof._ "

* * *

A/N

Welp, looks like Kiri's down for the count. Not really a problem as far as I'm concerned, if anything it's a good thing as if he escalates against Sakura, we might end up with the masquerade not just torn down, but the whole existence of the supernatural getting shoved into the limelight for all the world to see with no possibility of it being hidden away ever again barring mass mind control of the entire world's mundane Human population.

…

…

…

…

…

Actually, in hindsight, I wouldn't mind that, except it's bad for the plot (kind of like flipping the table actually). And if the Association turns Tokiomi into a scapegoat like they tried with Rin after Heaven's Feel…well, they'd have to bunk very awkwardly with Sakura somewhere, or Sakura gives in to Rin's pleas to save their father and proceeds to storm the Clock Tower with a full-fledged demonic legion and comes out with Tokiomi leaving behind piles of corpses in a magical university-turned-charnel house…yeah, as I said, bad for plot i.e. the equivalent of flipping the table.

Ah Sola…I don't know why people hate her so much for acting like she does. Sure, she's spoiled and cruel and insane, but TBH, if I was forced into an arranged marriage like her, I'd do similarly to her. Oh yes, and I'd very much like to give her similar power as Sakura here possesses, so she can come back to London and give her family the middle finger for trying to sell her off…and if they say otherwise, say hello to a few demons and goodbye to their souls. You go, girl! Fight the power!

Ahem…up next, Tokiomi and Sakura finally meet. How will it go, I wonder?


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Chapter 11

 _The disciples strapped heavy weights on the students' limbs and waists, stepping back as they finished and allowing the master to take center stage. The students formed up at his appearance, or at least they tried. The weights were so heavy they could barely move._

 _Zhang Sanfeng chuckled. "Perhaps we should have started with something lighter…" he murmured before shaking his head. "No, this should be alright so long as we don't push too much over the next few days. Ease them into it…"_

 _The immortal nodded to himself as his students finally managed to form up before him. "Very well," he said. "I'm sure you're all wondering why I had your older brothers and sisters weigh you down, aren't you?"_

 _There were laughs from the students in front of him, composed of children and younger adolescents as they were. Zhang Sanfeng laughed as well. "Well, it's a surprise." He said, to groans of exasperation from the students, and prompting the immortal to laugh again. "But I can tell you this much without spoiling the surprise: it's not for nothing. And don't worry, we won't push you until you're used to your weights…much."_

 _There was nervous laughter at that. "Now then," Zhang Sanfeng began, stepping into the basic stance for Tai Chi, his students doing likewise. "Let's begin by reviewing our stances. Follow as best you can, but don't feel bad if you can't keep up. As I said, you're still getting used to the weights. For now, just do what you can as best you can."_

 _The students said their assent and did as asked, Sakura doing likewise in the second row, dressed in the blue and white Hanfu uniforms of the Wudang Monastery. Step by step, they followed the motions of the basic forms of Tai Chi, their master describing the metaphors behind each and every step as they went._

Sakura finished buttoning down her jacket, and taking a brush began brushing her hair. On the mirror in front of her, she saw Pixie fly over to hover in the toilet doorway. "So you're really going?" the fairy asked.

"Why not?"

"It's a trap."

Sakura chuckled. "I know." She said.

"But you're still going."

"Yes, I am." Sakura said. "Before you can turn an enemy's trap against them, you first need to set it off."

"…I…see…"

"It'll be fine." Sakura set, setting the brush down and turning to leave the toilet. Pixie flew out of the way, and once Sakura had passed flew over to hover near her. "I wouldn't become the old man and his lackeys' plaything for all the world. If they still don't get it after all that's happened so far, I'll just have to ram it down their throats."

"Technically the only major interaction you've had outside that with Waver Velvet and Alexander the Great was that battle during the docks, and the attempted ambush after that." Pixie pointed out. "And that was a very…indirect, form of demonstrating your position. Well…there was your sister, but unless she talked…"

Pixie trailed off, but Sakura just chuckled. "To be honest," she said. "I wouldn't be surprised if she did. I mean, I did ask her not to, but she's a kid. And she worships that worthless asshole of a father she has. Ah well, I can't really blame her, for all that I think she could have done more back then…not that it'd have done much good…"

Sakura trailed off, muttering unhappily to herself, and falling silent tapped her cheek with a finger for a few moments before shrugging and smiling. "Well," she said. "It's not a problem so long as she starts thinking for herself soon, and doesn't just parrot anything and everything without thinking them through, simply because that's what society and tradition demand, and other worthless reasoning like that. That, and she learns what's most important."

"Family?" Pixie asked, and Sakura laughed.

"Okay, there's that." She admitted. "But no, I was referring to freedom."

"Freedom can be dangerous too." Pixie pointed out while following Sakura out of the bedroom.

"So is fire, and that hasn't stopped people from using it." Sakura pointed out.

"…not really sure if that analogy works…"

Sakura shrugged. "Maybe not," she admitted, opening the cabinet near the door, and mused on whether or not to wear her cloak and cap today. Thinking better of it, she closed the door. "Anyway, I have plans to deal with the old man."

Sakura paused and laughed, her smile dripping with utter malice. "And the best part is, I don't even have to touch him." She muttered, opening the apartment door before turning to Pixie. "Shall we go?"

"Okay."

* * *

The Sun shone down from the morning sky, clear of clouds in a foretaste of the coming spring, as two sets of individuals approached Kotomine Church. "Morning, Waver." Sakura said. "Same to you, Rider."

"Oh, good morning." Rider rumbled.

"Good morning." Waver said.

"They didn't give a time for the meeting today," Sakura said with a laugh. "So I thought 'after breakfast has had time to settle, but before we're all hungry and roaring for lunch' was a good time to come here."

Rider laughed and even Waver smiled at that. "That's true." The former admitted while glancing at the church along with Waver. "Really, calling us all here without telling us _when in the morning_ to come…doesn't seem very well organized, does it? Well, at least the reasoning for calling us here is sound."

Sakura just hummed at that, and both Waver and Rider looked at her curiously. "You don't think it is?" Rider asked.

Sakura hummed again before glancing at them. "Well," she began. "It's just that…well, I'm sure it'll be brought up later, so I'll give my answer then to everyone present, so I won't have to repeat myself."

"I…see…is that it?"

Sakura sighed and nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Pretty much…just one thing though, on what's to come: try to keep an open mind, please?"

Sakura focused on Waver who blinked at the hardness in her gaze. "I really do think you're a great guy in the making." she asked. "After all, from what you've told me about yourself, you're not afraid to question what other people just take for granted or accept at face value, are you?"

"Huh?"

Sakura smiled but didn't say anything, instead walking towards the church. Waver followed her with his eyes, and turned to Rider only to find the Servant with a thoughtful expression on his face. Waver stared up at Rider for several moments before the Servant noticed, and with a grin patted Waver on the back. "Interesting food for thought, that it is." He admitted as Waver cringed. "So, shall we go in?"

"Y-yeah…"

As Waver and Rider moved up behind her, Sakura pushed open the doors to the church, allowing sunlight to flood the dim interior. Other Masters were already: Irisviel von Einzbern was there, Lord El-Melloi's woman, Sola or something, and of course, Tokiomi Tohsaka.

Eyes turned to her, and Tokiomi gasped and his eyes widened in recognition. Sakura's eyes narrowed as she stepped forward, Rider and Waver following up behind her. In the next moments, more gasps went up around the church as…something, filled the air.

It wasn't something physical, tangible or even visible, just…just a feeling, as though something vast and ominous was looming up over them, an indomitable will to bend all life and even the whole world itself to itself. Sakura blinked, and turned her head to meet the blood-red eyes of the Knight of the Bow.

She didn't say anything. She didn't flinch. She didn't even narrow her eyes. She just stared back for what seemed an eternity, like a wall standing against the tide, or a tower in a storm. And then…it ended, Archer scoffing and turning away in disgust. "How disgusting." He snarled. "To think that Humanity has degraded so much that only a capital criminal would have the willpower that should be expected of the master race…"

Archer trailed off and began to dissolve into golden light. "I will kill you myself." He warned Sakura before vanishing. "Remember that."

Sakura snorted herself, before giving a small smile of agreement. "He's not completely wrong." She softly said, before turning away and going further into the church. The other Masters had already recovered or were recovering, and Tokiomi in particular was rushing towards Sakura with a disgustingly-desperate expression on his face.

 _And yet you were so eager to get rid of me back back…fuck you, old man._

"Sakura…Sakura…!"

Sakura smirked maliciously, stepping forward as though to meet Tokiomi…and then gasps and widened eyes went around as she seemed to move several feet in a single step, well past Tokiomi. Or so it seemed to them. In fact, she took _six_ steps…in the time it would have taken them to take one step.

" _Qinggong…what a wonderful thing._ " Sakura thought with satisfaction.

 _The students removed the weights they'd been made to wear for the past several months, and placed them on baskets provided to each of them. They were arranged into a single row, the students kneeling on the ground side by side, as they removed their weights and then rose to their feet._

 _Zhang Sanfeng nodded in satisfaction as he paced along the front of his students. They stood in one of the monastery's wide courtyards, while a series of targets had been arranged on the distant wall in front of them. "Alright!" the immortal said. "Gotten used to your weights, have you?"_

 _"Yes, master!" the students chorused._

 _"Very good!" Zhang Sanfeng said. "Move and fight normally with them, can you?"_

 _"Yes, master!" the students chorused again._

 _"And you've taken them off?"_

 _"Yes, master!"_

 _Zhang Sanfeng nodded and stepped out of the way. He then gestured at the targets. "Then kick the targets." He said._

 _The students looked at each other in confusion. "But master," one of them piped up. "They're too far away."_

 _"You let me worry about that." Zhang Sanfeng said with a wave of his hand. "Now do as you're told."_

 _The students again looked at each other in confusion, and with a series of shrugs stepped into their stances before jumping forward. Blue and white blurred through the air, followed by the sound of breaking stone, and of children crying out in shock and surprise. Zhang Sanfeng and his disciples laughed, looking at the younger students amidst settling clouds of dust._

 _Some of them were gaping as they stared at the craters their impacts had caused on the wall, while others were trying to pull their legs or feet out of the wall. "If you can move normally or quickly with those weights," Zhang Sanfeng said, taking one of said weights from a disciple, and dropping it cracked the ground from the weight's own weight. "Then how much faster would you be without them? Mastering that speed is the first step in learning Cloud Ascending Ladder."_

 _There were dissatisfied complaints from the children, prompting another wave of laughter from the immortal and his disciples. "Now, now," Zhang Sanfeng said. "Stay long enough, and then it will be your turn to laugh at the ones to learn next. Now, come along. Or don't you want to learn Cloud Ascending Ladder?"_

 _The children quickly helped each other up, and rushing back to their master formed up as the master walked up in front of them. "Now then," he said, taking his stance. "Let us begin."_

" _Persistent, aren't you?_ " Sakura thought, as a shaken Tokiomi tried to touch her on the shoulder. Another six steps and she was well out of arm's reach, in front of the altar and staring up at the crucifix, the image of the Son of God on His cross. Sakura stared for several moments, then spoke up. "Did you know?" she asked.

"No," Risei answered from nearby. "What is it?"

"Even demons condemn Humanity for killing the Son of God." Sakura said. "He came for our sake, forsaking His Kingdom and yet we rejected Him, tortured Him, and killed Him like a common criminal."

"We did indeed." Risei said, turning to look at the crucifix. "For the sake of all our sins, the Lord allowed Himself to be treated as the lowest of the low, and to die in all our places…and through Him, all of us would rise from the dead to eternal life."

Sakura didn't reply, not even when Risei turned to look at her. Eventually she closed her eyes, and then turning away opened them to regard the other Masters. Irisviel von Einzbern looked haggard and exhausted, no doubt over what happened to her henchman.

 _Curious…is there something more that I haven't noticed?_

Tokiomi looked despondent, even more so when Sakura barely gave him a glance. Waver looked curious, as was Rider, the only Servant physically present. Lancer's new Master…

Sakura stepped closer. "Greetings," she said. "My name is Sakura Matou. May I have the honor of your name?"

The redhead blinked and then drew herself up. "I am Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri." She said.

"Pleased to meet you," Sakura said before tilting her head. "I'll be frank: I do not know the details of your situation, but I can guess."

Sola narrowed her eyes. "Can you?" she asked.

"Yes." Sakura said with a grin. "Forced into a situation you'd rather not be in, without even being given a say in the matter, and to regain control over your life or some measure of it, you took the first chance you got. No, I don't blame you. On the contrary, I praise you. There is no nobler cause to fight for than your own freedom. Even if the whole world condemns you for it and calls you selfish and ungrateful, better to fight and die free than live as a slave…especially a slave who cannot see their chains, and submits content to the whip and the lash."

Sola looked surprised, and Sakura smiled wider. "I hope in the future we can talk some more on this matter." She said, turning and stepping away. "I'm sure, you'll be quite interested in what I and my allies have to offer."

Sola didn't know what to say to that, and still with a smile Sakura stepped a polite distance away. Risei coughed for everyone's attention. "Now then," he said, looking around at the gathered Masters, including Kirei half-hidden in the shadows. "Now that you've all been gathered here, we can begin. I will be brief: Caster and their Master's continued actions are simply put unacceptable. As you know, from the moment the war began, they've been abducting children across the city for their purposes, and as if that weren't bad enough, it's been causing a sensation in the mundane world."

Risei paused to look around again. "Deliberately involving mundane Humans in the Holy Grail War is against the rules of the contest." He said. "Oh perhaps I could let slide one or two incidents, involving a few people, perhaps with a warning…"

Sakura raised an eyebrow at that, while Waver looked somewhat troubled. The other Masters didn't even bat an eyelid though, prompting Sakura to roll her eyes. "But this isn't just one or two incidents. This doesn't involve four or five or even seven people. The abduction incidents rack up to dozens across the city, and well over half a hundred children have already been kidnapped!"

Risei paused again, this time to take a deep breath with which to regain his composure. "And beyond even the rules of the contest," he said. "Supernatural affairs must _never_ spill over into the view of the public eye, save for completely unavoidable circumstances. And while the abductions would naturally draw attention…that is precisely the point. _They draw attention, and they can be prevented._ "

The Masters nodded, and Risei nodded as well after a moment. "As of this moment, the Holy Grail War is on hold." He said, something that completely caught all the Masters off guard. "All Masters and Servants are to be tasked with eliminating Caster and their Master, with extreme prejudice if necessary. All those who break this truce, will be sanctioned appropriately. Only once Caster and their Master have been eliminated, will the contest resume. Furthermore, the ones who complete the task shall be awarded with an extra command spell in recognition of their actions."

There was a slight stir at that, none more so than Sakura. "Bounty hunting, is it?" she asked. "Not bad, old man."

Risei nodded once in acknowledgement. "Any questions?" he asked. "If there are none, then go with God."

"I have a question." Rider suddenly said.

"And what might it be, King of Conquerors?" Risei asked.

Rider turned to Sakura. "Well?" he asked.

Sakura glanced at him, and sighed. "Alright," she said. "I'll use a metaphor to express my opinion on the reason this meeting was called: only a fool puts out their neighbor's fire, while their house burns."

There was dead, utter silence at that, and then Rider chuckled. "Interesting," he said. "And you're any different?"

"No." Sakura said. "I guess I'm not. But that makes all the difference, doesn't it?"

"Not really," Rider said while stroking his chin. "Only to an extent."

Sakura smiled and with a shrug turned to leave. "I won't deny it." she said. "Well then, meeting adjourned, so I'll be taking my leave."

"Will you perform the given task?" Rider asked.

"…I don't know."

Gasps went up at that, and Sakura glanced back at the other Masters. "I'll think about it." She said. "If the paths are crossed, then two purposes will clash and only the victor can go forward, as it should be."

"Is that so?"

Sakura nodded. "That's what I believe." She said, and after a moment Rider chuckled and nodded.

"It's a lonely path you walk." He said sadly. "Not too different from ours, so I hope I can still convince to step on our path instead, but still…"

Rider sighed and nodded again. "Alright then," he said. "See you around, Sakura Matou."

Sakura nodded, and walking past Tokiomi without even a glance, left the church, the doors closing with a resounding echo. "What was that supposed to mean?" Sola asked.

"I think I know." Irisviel said, causing eyes to turn to her. "Well, magi…magi are supposed to be willing to do anything and everything to achieve their goals, aren't they? Whether it's putting their lives on the line, or that of others."

"That's…" Sola began only to gasp in realization. "She can't be…is she saying that we have no right to criticize Caster and their Master, since as magi we would do no differently from them if we had to?"

Irisviel nodded, and gasps went up. "No way!" Waver said. "There's no way I would…!"

"But Waver," Rider interrupted. "That sort of shit happens in your society, doesn't it?"

"W-w-well…y-yes…"

Rider nodded. "And you don't do anything to stop it," he said. "So long as it doesn't put your society, or goals at risk?"

Waver gaped for several moments, and then closing his mouth lowered his head. "No," he said with a slight shake of his head. "We don't."

"Then it doesn't matter whether or not you don't do that kind of shit yourself." Rider said. "Even if you're just letting it happen, you're just as responsible."

"That's…!" Waver began only to break off and look away in shame. To his surprise though, Rider placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Remember what she asked earlier," the Servant said gently. "Keep an open mind."

Waver looked at Rider, and after a few moments swallowed and nodded. "Does she really have the right to judge?" Irisviel asked, and Rider glanced at her.

"Do you really think she was judging?" he asked, but it was Sola who answered.

"No," she said, looking at the front doors. "She wasn't. I'd say she was making an observation, and trying to give us advice."

"Huh?" Irisviel asked, and Sola smiled cruelly.

"She admitted it, didn't she?" she asked. "That she wasn't much different from us. And why should she be? She's a demonologist, isn't she? A dabbler in the blackest of arts."

Kirei and Risei shared a concerned glance, and looking at Tokiomi to see his reaction to this talk about his daughter saw to their concern the man standing slack against a pew, eyes and expression despondent, clearly not noticing the world around him. "…if I had to say it," Sola was saying. "Matou was trying to tell us to not be so high and mighty about Caster and their Master. After all, would we do any different to achieve our goals?"

Irisviel winced at that, knowing all about her husband's methods. "And that last bit she said," Sola continued. "About the crossing paths thing…I imagine it means she'll do as she wants, and if something gets in her way she'll either break through or be broken trying…interesting…I wonder…"

Sola hummed while tapping at her chin for a few moments, and then shook her head with a smile. Before she could say anything though, Waver spoke up. "In other words," he began. "We shouldn't pretend to be…noble, and great, and all that, while doing what our magecraft demands us to?"

"Too wordy," Rider said. "She's just telling you not to be hypocrites."

Waver glanced at Rider, and then looked away. "But that's…" he began.

"I have never denied all the terrible things I've done, or tried to excuse them." Rider said with a hand on Waver's shoulder, and prompting him to look at the Servant. "The Destruction of Thebes, the Rape of Tyre, the public humiliation and execution of the Persian commander at Gaza, the Burning of Persepolis…"

Rider trailed off with a deep breath. "Stand by what you've done, Waver." He said. "Both the good and the bad. And in the end, you'll be nobler and greater than one who pretends to be both but is neither, because he cannot stand by what he truly is."

"In short, be true to yourself, huh?" Irisviel asked, and Rider nodded.

"Exactly." He said.

Sola snorted. "Easier said than done." She said.

"And it doesn't excuse what Caster's doing to those children." Irisviel said.

"Did I say it does?" Rider said. "Did she say it does?"

"Well no, but…"

"There you go." Rider said with a nod. "If anything, she's telling us not to go after Caster out of moral superiority, at least until we're absolutely certain what it is he's doing. We should do it because it's risking the war going out of control, and exposing the supernatural to people at large."

"Can there even be any doubt as to what Caster's doing to those poor children?" Irisviel demanded.

"Almost completely none." Rider said. "Not until we find and see what they're up to. Until then, it's just inference from what that kind of magi typically do, suspicion…innocent until proven guilty, after all."

"That's rather idealistic of you, isn't it, King of Conquerors?" Risei asked, and Rider laughed.

"I suppose it is." He admitted. "But as you say, I am a King. I have to set the standard, and live by it, if not surpass it!"

"I suppose that is a valid reasoning."

"But she's not going to do anything about it either, is she?" Irisviel said darkly. "And to think I'd thought better of her…"

Rider hummed while looking at the doors to the church. "Well," he said. "She did say she'd think about it…and from what she said and seems to be…if she believes that people should live as they want to live, then she won't automatically oppose what Caster and their Master's doing. They're living as they like, so she can't stop them without coming of as a hypocrite herself. But…paths cross, she said…"

Rider trailed off and chuckled. "If he becomes an obstacle," she said. "Then she'd fight. Don't you think she's just trying to find a reason to say that Caster and their Master's become an obstacle?"

The other Masters silently looked at each other, and Rider nodded slowly. "And ultimately," he said. "She didn't say she wouldn't accept advice. So speaking of which, shall we go and find her, Waver?"

"Eh?" Waver said before he was turned around by the shoulders and guided towards the doors.

"If Sakura needs a reason to call Caster and their Master an obstacle to fight against," Rider said while pulling Waver along. "Then I say we give her one. That's what friends do after all, help each other out, including when they're lost on their way…"

The other Masters looked on as Rider and Waver left while discussing how to convince Sakura to help in the hunt for Caster and their Master. And then after a moment, Sola coughed and turned toward the priests. "If that will be all," she said. "I'll take my leave."

Risei nodded, Sola leaving with the invisible and intangible Lancer. For several moments after that, Irisviel lingered in an increasingly awkward silence, and then with a cough and a murmured farewell, also left with Saber.

Left alone with Tokiomi and the invisible Assassin (Archer having wandered off having no interest in 'lesser' affairs), Risei and Kirei shared another glance while approaching Tokiomi. "Tokiomi," Risei said.

The magus didn't reply, clearly oblivious to the world around him. The two priests worriedly shared another glance, and then cautiously, Risei reached forward to nudge Tokiomi on the arm. The man glanced at the priest at the touch, Risei recoiling at the wild light flickering in the magus' eyes.

Tokiomi stared at Risei for a few moments, and then slowly, listlessly turned his head to stare back in front of him. In the next moment his knees gave way to dump him onto the ground, and then closing his eyes and clenching his fists Tokiomi screamed in rage and despair.

* * *

A/N

Isn't it sad, Toki-chin?


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Chapter 12

It had been an interesting development, the watcher had to give that much. One of the Fallen Angel's pawns had returned to her world of birth at the Destructive Spirit's behest, and entered a petty contest held by self-proclaimed masters of the arcane who knew nothing of real value. It had…potential, to be of real interest.

But…the pawn hadn't really shaken things up much, yet. Developments had been interesting, but they could still be so much more interesting. And it would be, once the watcher stirred things up just a bit.

The watcher had to be careful though. The pawn was one of the Fallen Angel's more valued ones, a rare breed of mortal naturally gifted with the potential to bind beings normally far beyond the pitiful comprehensions of mortals, with their wet and fleshy brains. Said potential had long since been harnessed, and the mortal pawn now walked well ahead on the path to become…

…true.

It would not do to anger the Fallen Angel by costing him a valued pawn. The watcher was strong. It was eternal, wise and powerful beyond the ken of mortals or other, lesser – if still similar – beings than itself, but the Fallen Angel was still mightier than the watcher, still the Supreme Power of Darkness where the watcher could only haunt the former's domain.

And if the watcher were honest…it wished to see. It wished to see if the pawn would actually succeed, like so few others gifted or simply insane or determined mortals before it had, shedding their feeble flesh and its constraints to become true existences.

Or perhaps, the pawn would stay a pawn forever, lacking the will and power to become more, to become _real_ …or perhaps it would fail and fall, ceasing to be. Most pawns ended that way, tools once useful but on becoming worn down, broken, or simply useless, were cast away to be forgotten. It wasn't like they had any real value, after all.

They weren't real. Not really.

Just faces in an otherwise faceless, grey, and uniform mass of animals, but with only that little bit of distinction to their false existences. And while the gifted ones, or those with will, perception, and drive that did not belong to animals were more interesting than most pawns…

…they were still bound by the constraints of their feeble flesh. And more often than not, such constraints would ensure their fate was no different from those of other mortals.

But, that was all beside the point. The point at issue was that the Fallen Angel's pawn's actions had the potential to be of true interest. Perhaps even without intervention, for things were early still…

…but, they also may not. Not without the watcher's intervention. And once it intervened, things _would_ certainly grow more interesting. Though, it would have to be careful with its intervention, for the Fallen Angel would not be pleased if things went much too awry, or too interesting even. And that could prove…unpleasant.

Still, it was an…interesting, challenge. How to intervene, and make things truly interesting, without overly risking the Fallen Angel's wrath?

The solutions came quick, and were simple enough. Direct…action, on the pawn by the watcher was to be avoided. And what action the watcher took, would have to be…framed, in the context of a challenge, a test for the pawn, to prove her value to the Fallen Angel's cause, and for the watcher, to see how far she had progressed on the path to becoming…more, than mortal.

Done properly, the Fallen Angel might even be pleased. And while the watcher did not stand by the cause of the Fallen Angel, even it had to admit the Fallen Angel's approval was not an entirely bad thing for itself.

Next question…what form should the intervention by the watcher take?

Again, the solution came quick and simple. There were echoes present on the plane, echoes of mortals which had achieved…partial, realization, that which other mortals perceived and knew as 'Heroic Spirits', a most amusing name to call them by. Truly so, given the paradox inherent therein.

Or perhaps not, as heroism was such a mortal concept, otherwise empty and meaningless.

One echo in particular, bore the mark of their kind. And indeed, carried with him the Mad Arab's book, with one particular connection waiting to be invoked. It was tenuous and weak, insulated and suffocated by a world's dreams and delusions of being greater than it actually was.

The watcher exerted its power, brushing aside the feeble attempts at self-defense by the world…

* * *

…and it was done.

Across the world, witches, priests, shamans and others touched by the supernatural in ways the lords and masters of the magi sneered at and dismissed as unseemly and disreputable, improper or even as mere fakery trembled. Some went mad, clawing their eyes out and carving bloody gashes through their flesh with hands contorted into claws, more animal than man.

Others simply died, their flesh unable to handle the trauma inflicted on their souls by sensing the actions of a being far greater than they.

Those who endured and those who went mad all spoke and sang and babbled, of all-consuming shadows slowly but inexorably blotting out the light, bringing madness in the dark with it…forever. In Cairo, an imam went mad, tearing out his eyes and beard, and for months after he wandered the streets and slums of the city, screaming of a faceless god's return and the renewal and damnation he brought with him.

Few dared approach, with those that did finding themselves led into winding and maddening chases through inexplicably mazelike streets. It should not be and yet it was, those who had grown up in the city and those who did not but brought maps with them seemed to find them impossible to navigate, all the while the echoes of the imam's madness seemed to echo all around along with unreal and inhuman laughter.

The imam preached and preached, until the Sun dawned on the morning of the summer solstice. At the touch of the light, the imam fell dead, his emaciated and filthy body lying on the streets of Cairo, twisted and contorted in death, the stench of his body rotting in the heat and the great clouds of flies it drew keeping any from coming near.

And still the madness persisted, those who sought to take the body away in death unable to reach it, lost in the mazelike streets of the city just as those who'd sought to take him away in the previous months were. But when the Sun dipped below the horizon, the imam dissolved, his body turning into a black liquid that vanished into the cracks and drains of the street.

Soon after, further horror struck the city, of malformed and twisted things being born, of things tearing their way out of their mother's wombs, and of spells of madness turning entire blocks and even districts into charnel houses, places of ritualistic orgies of rape, murder and cannibalism. The madness spread and spread and spread, until at last, a full year later, the city was finally cleansed with fire.

But that was still in the future.

For now, reality and fantasy buckled and twisted and flowed into each other, one and yet not one, real and unreal, utterly indistinguishable and yet all too different. The air popped as it was displaced, and unnatural silence fell across a clearing.

A girl with long, silver hair smiled, looking up at the sky with eyes the color of emeralds. "Now," she said. "Show me what you can do, forsaken child."

* * *

"Did you feel that?"

"Yeah, I did." Sakura said, whistling with an impressed note. "Looks like something…big, just decided to mess around. That would have popped a few heads…literally."

The fairy and the devil summoner alike smirked with morbid amusement at the thought of people's heads literally bursting apart in gore caused by being unable to handle the ripples sent through reality by a sufficiently powerful being. "What are you going to do about it?" Pixie asked.

"Not a single thing." Sakura replied, and resuming their walk down the street, Pixie sitting on Sakura's shoulder as usual. "I do wonder who it could be, though. It doesn't feel like Miss Louisa, but…I'd say comparable degrees of power, more or less."

Pixie nodded in agreement. "Though," she said. "If it causes trouble for you…"

Sakura nodded as Pixie trailed off. "Yeah," she said. "If it causes trouble for us, then yes, I'm going to have to do something about it. To an extent, of course: I have no desire whatsoever to be a hero."

Pixie nodded. "So," she said. "What now?"

Sakura paused and looked up in thought, and then changing course moved down the street briskly before turning into an alley. Walking up to the end, Sakura turned the corner, and checking both ways summoned a specter. "Well?" she asked.

The specter passed on information through a telepathic link, and Sakura smiled in amusement. "What's gotten you so happy all of a sudden?" Pixie asked.

"More amused than happy, actually." Sakura said with theatrical pomposity. "Looks like Rider and Waver are looking for us, probably to try and convince me to join in on taking Caster down."

"What do you plan to do?" Pixie asked.

Sakura mulled it over for a few moments before shrugging. "Might as well give them a chance to make their case." She said. "Whether it will work or not…we'll see. So for that, I think…I'll invite them…for lunch. It's not like I don't have money to burn in any case."

Pixie snickered while Sakura shrugged again before turning back to the specter, and dismissed the spirit. Then nodding once, Sakura drew her ritual dagger, and cutting her hand open liberally smeared the wall with a circle of blood. And then using an index finger, Sakura used more blood to draw glyphs and connections inside the circle, all the while muttering words that made the surrounding air _quiver_ with every syllable.

Finally, the circle was complete, and Sakura placed both hands on the center. " _Nkylk'kryshq!_ " she spat, and the surrounding air trembled while the wall plaster, bricks, and the cement floor cracked.

As Sakura drew her hands back, the interior of the circle seemed to flow like molten wax, spiraling inwards before a small point opened up in the center. With the sound of tearing cloth, the opening widened, before encompassing the entirety of the circle's interior, showing a street full of shocked, surprised, and frightened people.

Including the intrepid pair of Rider and Waver.

"Jackpot!" Sakura said before muttering another spell, causing more damage to their surroundings, and then she leaned forward, _through_ the portal.

* * *

Rider and Waver had been inconspicuously walking down the street, trying to follow the trail of one Sakura Matou with the aid of a tracking spell courtesy of Waver. It was a basic thing, barely able to track her aura, but it was better than nothing, and at least worth trying to use according to Rider.

Waver didn't have much confidence in it working, though for the sake of his peace of mind, he'd decided not to argue, and to just give it a go. Surprisingly, the spell had picked up a trail, if a faint one, and they were now following it…

…or rather, they'd been following it for an hour now, and there was still no sign of the devil summoner. Indeed, Waver was about to declare the trail cold, left over from well before this morning, when suddenly there was this…feeling, of air…thickening, a telltale sign of magecraft being performed.

Though…the aura…or…sensation that came with it…or rather was underneath the usual…it felt…unnatural… _alien_ , even.

 _Now why would that be the case? And who and where?_

The answers came quick, accompanied by the sound of tearing cloth. On the wall of the bank they were walking past, a glowing circle expanded outward from a central point, and then rippling like water cleared. Through the pool-like…portal, Sakura Matou could be seen.

"Jackpot!" the girl said with a grin, before reality came crashing down around Waver. All around him people were staring, whispering and pointing. Even Rider's eyes were wide in realization.

Sakura Matou…she'd just performed magic in public, and in broad daylight, seemingly without a care whatsoever for the consequences.

 _Has she gone completely **INSANE**?_

 _Doesn't she realize what could happen because of this?_

 _This is…!_

Sakura said a spell, causing Waver and others' ears all around to pop, and then she leaned forward, through the portal, half her body extending through it. "Hey there," she said. "I heard you were looking for me. Care to join me for lunch?"

"HAVE YOU GONE COMPLETELY INSANE?" Waver exploded, and Rider burst out laughing.

Sakura blinked and looked around, ignoring the spluttering Waver before shrugging and stepping through the portal in full. And then to Waver's further horror, she began flailing about and pointing at herself and Waver. "Mages," she said loudly. "We're both mages here! We can do magic and shit, like summoning spirits and demons, controlling minds and turning lead into gold! See for yourselves!"

Pointing a hand into the air, Sakura said a spell, this one not popping anyone's ears, just sending a blazing bolt of light into the air. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Waver screamed, throwing himself at Sakura, all the while beginning a mass hypnosis spell. "MATOU!"

Without batting an eyelid, Sakura grabbed Waver, and _threw him through the portal_. "Don't worry, he's safe." She said to Rider. "Probably a bit bruised, there is a stone wall right there. Shall we go?"

"Why not?" Rider rumbled. "Though you do have a good reason for doing this, don't you little lady?"

"Maybe?" Sakura drawled with a grin, causing Rider to look surprised before she entered the portal. Scratching his head and then sighing to himself, Rider passed through the portal as well. Moments later, and it closed behind them…

…leaving a perfectly circular hole in the bank's wall, and showing for all the world to see a surprised banker and several _yakuza_ men examining a pile of bagged drugs in the vault room.

Interesting times up ahead, no?

* * *

"WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Stop shouting already." Sakura crossly snapped, closing the portal and leaving a perfectly circular hole in the alley wall, opening into a dusty and unused room. "And don't ask stupid questions. You know what I did."

Waver grit his teeth, hands pressed against his head, looking positively crazed. Seriously; his eyes were wide and bloodshot, while his face had gone utterly white, and he was dripping with sweat. "You. Used. Magic. In. Public." He ground out. "Do you even understand what you've done…the consequences of your actions…if the Association finds out…!"

"Bugger the Association with a splintered pine cone." Sakura said bluntly. "If they have a problem with what I did, they can take it up with the complaints department. That's my fist by the way."

"Do you really think you can stand against the Association, no, the whole supernatural world all by yourself?" Waver demanded. "Every last organization or individual with a stake in the supernatural will not stand to see the masquerade even so much as put at risk! There is…"

"Against the whole supernatural world by myself…" Sakura interrupted with a thoughtful tone of voice. "Okay, that's a bit too much even for me. With my summons…doable, if a bit touch and go. With my friends, oh boy."

Sakura grinned, and struck a pose. "When your friends fight by your side," she said, left hand held with fingers spread in front of her face. "Courage grows a hundred fold, and strength grows a thousand fold! Bring on all the nine Types…and prepare nine graves for nine dead planets."

"…WHAT?"

Rider laughed loudly, and placed his hands on his hips before nodding and leaning back with an appraising air about him. "I like that, I really do." He said with a grin. "The power of friendship carrying the day, and magnifying what you can do far beyond simple numbers…but, can you really put your money where your mouth is, little lady?"

"Yes." Sakura said, standing normally and speaking matter of fact. "I, no, _we_ can. Rin, Natsumi, and Saki are individually weaker than I am, but any of them of could still take on Lorelei Barthomeloi and her band of pretty boys all at once and come out of it only slightly winded. More than that though, all three of them together are _stronger than I am_ , and could crack a planet with a single performance."

Waver's mouth fell open at that last, while Rider's eyebrows would have vanished into his hairline if it could. "Seriously?" they chorused.

"Seriously." Sakura said.

"And," Rider carefully began. "What's it like, when all four of you fight together?"

Sakura only laughed and grinned.

* * *

"This place is so stereotyped."

"Really? I think it's a nice place. Also, I'd like to reserve judgment until later." Rider said. "We had colonies on Sicily and Southern Italy back in my day, but I never managed to visit them, or to sample what they had to offer. I'm sure things have changed after over two thousand years or so, but who knows? Italian cuisine might have something left over from those days, passed down over the millennia."

"Y-yeah…"

"I'm sure they do." Sakura said cheerfully. Moments later, the waiter arrived with a bow, placing a basket of freshly-baked bread plus an empty plate in the middle of the table. The man then poured olive oil and vinegar on the plate, and with another bow he left. Rider chuckled.

"Yes," he agreed. "Some things certainly have not changed, and should not."

Nodding with satisfaction, the Servant took some bread, broke it, and dipped it in the oil and vinegar. "Oh, delicious! The bread is good, as is the oil and vinegar!" he boomed, quickly finishing his bread, and took another one from the basket. "Delicious!"

Waver looked at Rider incredulously, and started as Sakura nudged him on an arm. "Don't worry about it." Sakura told him. "As I said earlier, it's not like people would take too much of an interest in what happened, and even if they did, and you got into trouble for it, I'd bail you out. We're allies after all, and you're my friend, aren't you?"

"W-well, yes, it's just that…"

"It's hard to believe?" Sakura said, and Waver nodded. "I guess it is, me being able to bail you out if the Association decided to pick on you for being associated with me. In that case, I'll just have to prove it over the contest as things develops."

"…hmm…you've already shown off a lot of what you can do…but…I don't think it's going to be enough…"

"I haven't shown everything I'm capable of just yet, Waver." Sakura said with a smile and a shrug. "Trust me, if you get into trouble, I'll fish you out."

"Hey, you two lovebirds," Rider began, prompting an embarrassed squawk from Waver and a snort from Sakura. "Aren't you going to eat? Also, what else would they have to offer? The bread and dressing are good, but I'm sure this isn't all there is."

"…what exactly would you like to have?"

Rider grinned. "Surprise me." He said.

Waver and Sakura looked at each other, and then leaned closer as Waver took a menu on the table and began to talk softly as they studied the menu. Rider tuned them out, whetting his appetite with the bread and once the basket was empty, had the waiter replace it with more. Finally, after several minutes of conferral, the two Masters nodded at each other, and Waver waved a waiter over.

"Um, we'll have three fourteen-inch pizzas," he said. "Garlic and cheese, mushroom and cheese, plus pepperoni and cheese. Also, one carbonara large platter, and one Bolognese large platter. And two orders of Caesar's Salad please."

"Very good sir," the waiter said. "Would you like some drinks to go with that?"

"I'll just have house water, thank you." Waver said.

"I'll have a bottomless iced tea…" Sakura began only to break off as Waver choked in outrage. "What?"

"Iced tea? Seriously?" the young magus said with some heat. "Come on, that's…that's just…no. Just…no."

"…oh right, you're British."

"Of course I am."

"…prissy Brit…fine, I'll have an orange juice. And make it bottomless."

"Yes, ma'am." The waiter said, jotting it down.

"Much better." Waver said primly, prompting a roll of Sakura's eyes.

"And what about you, sir?" the waiter said, looking expectantly at Rider, who then looked at Sakura. The girl sighed.

"Get him a Heineken." She said.

"Very good, ma'am." The waiter said, jotting it down again. "To recap your orders, that's one fourteen-inch garlic and cheese pizza, one fourteen-inch mushroom and cheese pizza, one fourteen-inch pepperoni and cheese pizza, one large carbonara platter, one large Bolognese platter, two orders of Caesar's Salad, one bottomless orange juice, and one order of Heineken."

"Okay."

"Very good, ma'am." The waiter said with a bow. "Twenty minutes' minimum wait time, our apologies."

"That's fine." Sakura said, Waver and Rider nodding as well.

"Can't rush good cooking." The latter rumbled.

"Very good, sirs, ma'am." The waiter said with another bow, and left.

"…now what?" Waver asked after several moments.

"…you're so prissy about iced tea."

"That's because it's not really tea." The magus growled. "That's an American abomination, I'll have you know. I don't mind cutting corners and lowering standards and other things like that here and there, but there are some things that _have_ to be done right. Including drinking _good_ tea."

Sakura groaned and buried her face in her hands. Rider laughed at the sight. "Shame on you, Waver." He mock chided. "You made a girl cry."

"She's not crying." Waver said dryly. "She's not crying."

"I'm not." Sakura said, raising her face to show she wasn't.

"Right…" Rider drawled, before coughing and drawing himself up. "Now then, on to business…"

"Uh…no, perhaps that should wait for after lunch." Sakura said delicately. "I get the feeling it could get rather heavy, so…"

"…best not to spoil our appetites, huh?"

"Pretty much…" Sakura said before trailing off, as with a pop of displaced air and a glitter of fairy lights, Pixie reappeared on her shoulder.

"So, what'd I miss?" the fairy asked.

* * *

"So," Rider said, leaning back against his seat which faintly creaked in protest at his weight. "Now, that we've been fed and watered, shall we get down to business?"

"Okay," Sakura said, glancing at Pixie who was busy devouring a generous slice of strawberry cheesecake. "So…I'm…guessing…you're going to try…and convince me to…help out against Caster, aren't you?"

"I am." Rider said with a nod. "I understand your reasoning why at present you're not particularly opposed to Caster and their Master and all that they're doing, but…! I also understand, that if Caster and their Master gives you a reason to see them as obstacles to yourself and your goals, then you will fight them. Or am I wrong?"

"No," Sakura said, shaking her head. "You're right on both counts. So, going from there, how do you plan on making me see Caster and their Master as an enemy?"

"Hmm…" Rider hummed while lowering his head, eyes closed and arms crossed. Sakura and Waver waited in silence (Pixie continued chomping down her cheesecake without a care) for several long moments, and then Rider raised his head. And he smiled.

"First of all," he said. "I'd like to try and appeal to you to have a heart, and help put a stop to Caster's victimization of innocent children. Is that good enough a reason for you?"

Sakura nearly fell off her chair at that. "Seriously?" she asked.

"I am." Rider said, his smile fading to be replaced by an expression of complete seriousness. "I can see that you're far from an innocent, and that you've had your fair share, if not more than most people older than you I dare to say, of darkness in your life. Cast on you by others, or by yourself on others…and yet, is there anyone who wields power who can say they have not been touched by darkness, or indeed have not touched others with it? But for all that, I can also see that you have not lost yourself. Your means are still just that: means to an end. They're not ends in themselves. Or am I wrong?"

Sakura gaped at Rider slightly for a few moments, and then chuckling to herself shook her head. "No, I wouldn't say you're wrong." She finally said. "That said, appealing to my better nature…isn't really going to work."

"Why not?" Rider asked.

"I think the core of your argument is that, I'm a good person at heart, and that should be enough for a reason to intervene against Caster." Sakura said with a sigh. "But…is it really?"

"Hmm?"

"Huh?"

Waver and Rider glanced at each other and then back to Sakura, who sighed again. "What exactly is 'good' and 'evil', Rider?" she asked. "Do they really exist in reality?"

"You…"

Sakura smiled sadly. "Let's suppose…there's a man here," she began. "He's a gangster, a man who peddles flesh, poison, and death, who routinely extorts 'protection money' from honest people who work and live on his property, on top of the rent they owe him, places exorbitant interest rates on loans he gives out…I guess he must be a bad guy, right? But then again…what about all the generous sums he gives out regularly, to charities which feed, house, and clothe the poor and destitute, to support infrastructural projects which improve the lot of people living in less privileged areas of his home city, or the fact that the people who do work and live on his property do get their money's worth, never having to worry about being robbed or beaten up at night? So…is he really a bad guy? Or is he a good guy?"

Rider was silent and nothing on his face gave away what he felt on the inside, while Waver looked troubled. Pixie just looked unconcerned.

"Moving on," Sakura continued. "There's another man. He's an honest, hardworking guy, who never once deliberately broke the law in his life, in fact he makes a point of that fact. He worked his way up from the office floor all the way to the CEO's office, relying purely on merit and hard work to achieve his current post. He married for love and not for profit and advancement, is a devoted husband and a loving father, who gives generously to philanthropic and charitable organizations. A good man, no?"

"Worldly and cynical aren't you, little lady?" Rider said with a sigh, and finally smiled a sad smile. "So, how does this story end?"

"The man's company sets up shop in some cozy South American nation." Sakura said. "He meets with the people, and earns their trust and goodwill. He convinces them to put their money in a company bank, and to switch from growing corn to cash crops like coffee and cocoa. But then…the economy tanks. A coup takes place. Suddenly all those cash crops become worthless, and the money put in the bank has to be used to make up for the company's losses. The people come to him, asking for help. And what does he say to them? 'Sorry, world market, you're on your own.' He and his company then leave the country without a care, and set up shop in other, greener pastures. So, I guess that makes him a bad guy, yes? But what about all the good things he's done?"

Rider shakes his head. "Arguments and reasoning like that shouldn't be coming from a woman your age, Sakura Matou." He said sadly.

"Neither should we be fighting in this war," Sakura said softly, indicating herself and Waver. "And yet, here we are."

"Yes, indeed." Rider agreed with a nod. "But, Sakura, I suppose you make good points that 'good' and 'evil' are subjective and far from absolute…but all the same, there's an implicit argument there too, that everything hinges on a person's choice."

"Ah, yes, choice," Sakura said with a smile and a nod. "You're right of course. A person can choose to be good or evil, and this choice can easily change at any point in time."

"If that's the case then," Rider continued. "Why not make this choice to be good, at least in this point in time?"

"Because if I did," Sakura said. "Then I'll be obstructing Caster and their Master's path, and for no real reason other than I chose to do so. And that's just not my way."

Sakura shook her head. "That's not my way." She repeated. "My way is to keep going forward, and never to deliberately cross the paths others chose for themselves. If we are to cross paths, it's never deliberate on my part, and just a consequence of my path's route on the way to the future."

Rider hummed unhappily at that. "But," Waver began. "What about the innocent children they're experimenting on? I know as magi I…I can't really talk about that, when – as you referred to earlier in the church – even if we're not involved in the darker…aspects, of magi society, just the fact that I take it in stride as simply another consequence or sacrifice needed to preserve and advance magecraft I passively encourage and participate in it, but still…"

"People…no, children, suffer, are made use of, and killed all the time, all over the world." Sakura said softly, her eyes distant and hard, her expression one of veiled bitterness. "What makes Caster and their Master's victims so different? Why should they be saved when others aren't? Why do they have the right to deserve such…special, treatment?"

Rider and Waver gasped in surprise, shock, disbelief, and then anger. "What did you just say?" Rider growled. Sakura however didn't seem to notice, her eyes still distant.

"Not everyone is lucky…" she murmured. "Not like I was…"

At that, the expressions on Rider and Waver's turned to surprise and confusion, and then eyes narrowed. Waver, in particular, leaned forward to stare at Sakura closely. After a few moments, the young woman blinked, and staring back, raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" she asked.

Waver blinked and drew back, crossing his arms in thought for several moments. And then narrowing his eyes, nodded to himself. "Can I ask a personal question?" he asked.

"By all means, go ahead." Sakura replied. "No guarantees I'll answer it though."

"Are you really a Matou?"

"What?"

"Or rather, were you _born_ a Matou?"

"…what is that supposed to mean?"

"I think he's on to you, Sakura." Pixie piped up.

"You be quiet." She snapped, but Waver was already nodding.

"I'm right, aren't I?" he said. "You weren't born a Matou. You became one of them, was _made_ to become one of them, to try and save them from their lineage's decay. And your appearance…especially when you're not smiling or if you're serious…it really resembles Tokiomi Tohsaka's. You're related to him, aren't you, Sakura _Tohsaka_? You used to be family to him."

Sakura snarled with hate, causing Waver to recoil in fear. "That name no longer has any meaning to it." she spat. "That…child, does not even exist anymore! She…she was never even born in the first place!"

"Like you, huh?" Rider said softly and nodded slowly. "That's what you said earlier. I see…that explains a lot."

"What?"

"It's not a complete picture," Rider said. "But beneath all the words, the cynicism and worldliness, I can see that for all the power you possess, the drive and dreams that push you onward, there's only fear. Fear that you will become a weak and helpless child again, at the mercy of others, with no control over your own fate."

"…so what if it is?"

"What will you become in the end, Sakura?" Rider asked sadly. "What will your choices make you? What will the future you seek make you become?"

Sakura stared hard and cold at Rider, who just stared back with eyes filled with sadness and compassion. And after several long moments, she looked away, anger and hate turning to equal parts determination and regret. "I will be who I will be." She said. "Better to rule in hell, than to serve in heaven."

* * *

A/N

Whew, long chapter, and the last bit made my head spin. Thankfully, with some help from Waver's observations, Rider was able to dissect it all to get at the core of Sakura's motivations. They don't know all of it, but it's fundamentally correct. Even it means becoming a monster a thousand times worse than Zouken or Dark Sakura ever were, Sakura will follow her path to the logical conclusion, if that's what it takes to avoid becoming a helpless little girl again, cowering in the dark, helpless against an evil that cares absolutely nothing for her whatsoever.

As her master once said, better to rule in hell than to serve in heaven.


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Chapter 13

 _There are so many things I could say to you._

 _But I won't say them…not all, that is._

 _For one thing, it's understandable how you feel and think, even if I don't know the details. And I don't need to. All I need to know, is that at times, your people's society is cruel and inhuman. Not always…not for everyone in it…but it happens…just like war. Both exact a punishing toll on the innocent swept up in them, leaving scars on those who survive that more often than not, never go away._

 _And for another thing, you're still young. You still have your whole life ahead of you. You can still choose a better path, or at least a different one to what you follow now._

 _And while I do not agree with the path you've chosen to walk, I do know it is not one for the weak of will and spirit. You are strong, Sakura. Your spirit burns like fire, and your will drives you on, towards whatever end you seek for yourself._

 _That's why, I'll believe in you. I'll believe in the you that would not desire to become just like those who once tormented you, betrayed you, and left you alone in the darkness. I'll believe in the strong young woman I see before me, who can and will conquer both her enemies without, and her enemies within._

 _…_

 _…_

 _…_

 _Why do I believe in you so strongly, you ask?_

 _Because I will get you to help us, no question about it. We are allies, are we not? Therefore, I invoke our alliance, and with it your assistance, in finding Caster and their Master, and ending their foul actions once and for all. If you have it in you to honor my call to the word you gave me when we made an alliance together…_

 _…then that is all the answer you need as to why I believe in you so strongly._

"Tricky bastard," Sakura muttered as she walked down the street back to her apartment, having covertly traversed the city through portals she'd hidden in alleys. "He's left me no choice but to honor our alliance. If I don't…it's bad for business if you have a reputation for breaking pacts for personal reasons or for convenience's sake. Still…no…more than that…"

 _I'll believe in the you that would not desire to become just like those who once tormented you, betrayed you, and left you alone in the darkness._

Sakura paused, and stared up at the afternoon sky above. "It's different…" she murmured.

"What is?" Pixie asked.

"I betray nobody by taking no action." Sakura murmured, and then lowering her head closed her eyes. She remembered standing alone in the darkness over ten years ago, of the worms crawling in the dark, and how she so narrowly avoided being fed to the filthy things. "But…if I don't do anything…I'll be leaving them in the dark. Alone…helpless…just like I once was…"

Pixie stared at her friend, and then smiling, flew off Sakura's shoulder to hover in front of her. "So…" she began. "We're going to help?"

Sakura took a deep breath and opened her eyes. "If I don't do anything," she said. "Even if I'm not actually doing anything to them, it'll be just like telling Caster to go ahead. Much like what that pathetic and worthless bastard Tokiomi Tohsaka once did to that wretched worm Zouken Matou over ten years ago."

Eyes narrowed with hate as Sakura growled and twisted her face into a sneer. "I am nothing like him." She snarled. "Nothing…absolutely nothing…I am better than him in every way."

Stepping forward and past Pixie, Sakura continued towards her apartment, Pixie quickly catching to fly next to her. "So, we're helping." Pixie said. It wasn't a question.

"Yes, we are." Sakura said. "I just need to get a few things."

"Okay."

The two friends walked in silence back to the apartment, but Sakura had only taken a few steps into the foyer when a white and black figure ran across the foyer at her. "Sakura…!" it cried…and then with a cry of surprise, Rin tumbled back onto the ground, rubbing at her forehead. "Ouch…hey, that hurt!"

Sakura's response was to flick Rin's forehead again. "Don't run in public." Sakura chided with a stern expression, though amusement danced in her eyes. "And what's with the disrespect? It's onee-chan, or some variation thereof."

"Huh? Hey wait, I'm the older one here!"

Sakura's response was to stand straight, at her full height, and then to fold her arms under her breasts for emphasis. "Really?" she asked, and Rin looked grumpily crestfallen.

"…sorry, Sakura-nee." She murmured.

"Better," Sakura said with a smile. "Now, what are you doing here?"

"I need your help…" Rin began, before one of the building staff approached.

"Excuse me, miss." The staff member said. "But, do you know this girl? She arrived earlier looking for you, but since you weren't in and we needed to confirm…"

"It's alright," Sakura interrupted. "I understand, security and all…and yes, I know her. She's my little sister."

"I see." The staff member said with a bow first at Sakura, and then at Rin. "Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience."

Rin nodded, and with another bow the staff member left. Placing a hand on Rin's back, Sakura guided the little girl to the elevators. "Come along," she said. "And what do you need my help for?"

"One of my friends went missing." Rin said, as they waited for the elevator to arrive. "And there's all this stuff I hear on the news, when grandfather is watching in the evening, about children going missing. And I thought, maybe with the…well, you know what, happening in the city, there could be a connection."

Sakura kept her face clear, though internally she was doing the equivalent of banging her head against a wall. " _Of all people,_ " Sakura thought to herself. " _Why did it have to be **Rin's friend** who just had to get caught up in whatever it is Caster's up to. Fucking damn it!_"

"Sakura?"

Sakura blinked, and then glancing down at Rin smiled reassuringly. "And?" Sakura began, as she led Rin into the elevator, the doors closing behind them. "Why go to me? Why not go to your parents?"

Rin blinked and briefly paused before responding. "I don't want to disturb papa when he's busy." She said. "Besides, if it's connected to the war, papa will just say that's what happens when magi fight. I should just accept it, and let go. Magi walk with death."

"…is that right?" Sakura wondered. "Well, if you're planning to be a magus, he's got a point."

"But," Rin said through gritted feet, small hands clenching into fists. "Kotone's my friend! I can't just leave her all by herself with some crazy good for nothing magus! I don't care if magi walk with death, it's not right! Friends should stick together…stand up for each other! That's why, I…!"

Sakura smiled down at Rin, and ruffled her hair. The elevator doors opened and Sakura led them out, walking down the corridor towards her rooms. "So, why come to me then?" she said. "As far as you're concerned, I'm a magus too. What make you think I'll help you any more than your father would?"

To Sakura's surprise, Rin came to a halt, the older girl turning to look at the younger one behind her. "Because," Rin said. "I…I think…I like to think…my kind…my kind older sister who…who hated us for abandoning her…wouldn't abandon me and my friend."

Sakura stared at Rin in the eyes, the younger sister staring back without flinching. After several long moments, Sakura smiled and nodded. "Just so you know," Sakura said, resuming her walk towards her rooms. "I'm not a magus. I'm a devil summoner."

"Devil summoner?" Rin echoed.

"That's right." Sakura said. "By the way, I'm guessing your parents don't know you came to see me?"

"No, they might have tried to stop me."

"…maybe," Sakura said, coming to a stop outside her door. "Well, that doesn't really matter. And it's good to see you're finally able to think and act for yourself. You should aspire to be more than just a puppet or a doll to worthless people's expectations."

Rin looked troubled at that, but Sakura didn't care this time. "Wait here." She said, as she opened her door. "I just need to get a few things before we head out to look for your friend."

"Okay."

Stepping into her rooms, Sakura left the door partly open behind her, heading first into the bedroom to get her copy of the Book of the All-Seeing Eye. Holstering it against her thigh and then chaining it to her belt, Sakura went back outside, picking up her cloak and cap on the way out.

Rin stared as Sakura stepped out and locked the door, and then swung her cloak over her shoulders, tying it into place with gold braid. "Right," she said, placing her cap on her head and smiling down at Rin. "Let's go look for your friend, shall we?"

* * *

Risei found himself suffocating in the sheer despair from the scene before him.

Following the meeting with the Masters earlier during the day, he and his son had tried to cheer up the depressed and despondent Tokiomi over Sakura's spurning of his attempts at apology and reconciliation. Despite their best efforts, they could not, with Tokiomi barely eating lunch with them before wearily heading home.

Kirei had gone home with his master, to provide at least some measure of Human company, given for safety reasons, his wife and daughter had gone to ground elsewhere, until the war came to an end. Hours later though, Kirei had contacted Risei, saying that it might be best if Aoi Tohsaka at least came to see her husband, who'd apparently taken a turn for the worse.

Risei had been inclined to oppose this, but in the end had given way. Kirei was not the kind to overreact, and was a very good judge of character and circumstances. If he thought Tokiomi needed his wife's presence, then Tokiomi probably did.

So, Risei had gone and picked up a concerned Aoi from her parents' home, and brought her over to the Tohsaka property.

Said woman was now a broken heap on the ground, crying hysterically into her hands. As for her husband, Tokiomi was staggering brokenly across the backyard, drunkenly raving while clutching a half-empty bottle of wine in his hand. Several more bottles sat empty on a nearby table, along with a broken wineglass.

As Risei and Kirei looked on, Tokiomi lifted the bottle in his hand to his lips and drank deeply and sloppily, crimson fluid leaking from his lips to spill down his chin and onto his stained and dirtied clothes. Lowering the bottle, Tokiomi wiped at his mouth with a sleeve, and resumed his raving.

"Sakura…" he sobbed. "All I ever wanted for you was to not be overshadowed by your sister…all I wanted for you was the opportunity I couldn't give you…all I wanted was the best for you! And because of that…because of that…do you hate me? Do you want me to disappear? You want me to never see your smile again? To…to…to never…never…never call…call me father…again…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…I never meant for it to happen…daddy's so sorry…I'm a failure…A FAILURE!"

Tokiomi paused in his ravings to take another drink. "I'm a failure as a magus." He sobbed. "I'm a failure as a father! Damn it all…I wish I was dead…yes…will that make you smile again, Sakura? Will you smile if I die? It's alright…if that's what'll make you happy…"

Risei and Kirei shared a very concerned and grave glance as Tokiomi continued to rave and Aoi to cry…while sitting very relaxed on the roof, was a certain Servant who smirked down with a golden cup of wine in his hand. " _Perhaps there is still hope for this world after all,_ " Archer thought to himself. " _Who would have thought Tokiomi capable of such exquisite entertainment?_ "

And unnoticed by anyone else, a certain demon was also hiding in the shadows, watching in silence. And as it watched, the specter made certain to record every moment of its summoner's birth parents' despair. Specters may not be as sentient as other demons were, but it knew enough that its summoner hated her birth parents with unholy fervor.

She would be most pleased by this spectacle.

* * *

"So," Rider began. "You're saying you can find where Caster is with all this…alchemy?"

"Yeah…" Waver said absent-mindedly, busy poring over his results and a map. "Though to be honest, I'm not really too happy with this method. It's too…well, the kind of thing usually done by forensic investigators, and not magi. I'd be happier if it could be done with purely magical means, but…"

Waver trailed off, eyes narrowed as he marked a map with a grease pencil. Rider hummed to himself while sitting on a chair, looking on as Waver worked. Finally, Waver finished marking the map, and cross-referencing his results, drew a circle over a certain point. "I've got it!" he said.

"Oh?" Rider said, blinking in surprise, and then half-rose from his seat. "You've found where Caster is hiding."

"It's not for sure yet," Waver said. "But they're most likely here."

Waver tapped at the encircled part of the map, Rider walking over to look. And then grinning, the Servant patted Waver in congratulations, all but sending the magus sprawling with a cry.

"Well done!" Rider said. "I know you're not very happy with how you did it, from a magus perspective, but if that's the case, then you should at least take pride in the fact that despite from what you see as a…inferior, method, you managed to net a big catch!"

Waver didn't look happy at that at all, and he was about to retort to that effect when Rider walked over to the windows to look out into the night. "Hmm," the Servant hummed to himself. "Timing's just about right too…alright…!"

Rider turned back to Waver, and with a flash of light replaced his jeans and white shirt with his armor and cloak. "Shall we get going?" he asked, and causing Waver's jaw to drop.

"Huh?" the young man asked. "Wait, you want to go after Caster _now_?"

"Why not?" Rider asked. "We already know where they are, or where they'll likely to be. And I did say I expected to see Sakura join us on the hunt tonight. I don't intend to disappoint her by not showing."

"…do you really think she's going to show?"

"Of course I do." Rider said without any hint of doubt. "I'm not a particularly bad judge of character, and for all her words and motivations, I can see that she's just like a wounded she-wolf who was abandoned by her pack and forced to survive on her own. No, more than that, I can say…well, I'm not too sure about this, but…I think…yes, she found a new pack somewhere. New family, put another way."

Rider paused and sighed. "And people like her," she said. "They hold their honor and word in high regard, especially when it comes to agreements and understandings with others."

"…I…see."

Rider smiled at Waver. "You see, Waver," he said. "Sometimes, Human beings can only really understand what they personally experience. In this case…Sakura knows betrayal and abandonment, and won't betray and abandon in her turn. Not unless they betray and abandon her first…I pity the Tohsaka family. They made their own worst enemy: their own flesh and blood."

"It's not really betrayal or abandonment." Waver murmured. "That's just…"

"That's just how it is in magus society, is that what you're going to say?"

"…well, yes."

"Just because it's common practice it doesn't make it right." Rider said.

"But…"

"But nothing." Rider interrupted. "Put yourself in her shoes, Waver. How would you feel if the people you loved and trusted suddenly gave you away, like cattle to be traded and bred and put to use as needed?"

"That's not…!"

"That's exactly what happened to her." Rider interrupted again. "As you said earlier, and which Sakura all but said was what happened, she was made one of them to _save them from their lineage's decay_. All well and good if she'd consented to it but…from the sound and look of things, she wasn't even consulted. As I said, cattle traded to be bred and used."

Waver didn't say anything, and after a few moments Rider sighed. "Anyway," he said. "That's food for thought later. Right now, we've got Caster and their Master to flush out of whichever dank pit they're hiding in. Shall we go?"

* * *

"Y-yeah…"

"Pixie?"

"Yeah?"

"This is…"

"Yeah," Pixie said, looking around in concern. "This isn't far from where we made our backup hideout. To think they were hiding so close…"

"Fucking damn it," Sakura swore, and then glanced at Rin. "Sorry about that."

"You shouldn't swear so much." Rin said. "Or even at all. It's unbecoming of a Tohsaka."

"I'm not a Tohsaka." Sakura said, not even batting an eyelid at Rin's flinch. "Blame your parents, and your father in particular."

Rin slightly lowered her head at this, while Sakura stepped forward, the Book of the All-Seeing Eye open in her hand. Muttering a spell, Sakura glanced up at the sky as the clouds drifted away on a cold breeze, allowing the Moon and the stars to shine down. With 'cold light' now present, Sakura began casting other spells, the surrounding air trembling with every inhuman syllable that Sakura somehow managed to force from her throat.

There was a sharp crack, and Sakura blinked as she staggered. Rin likewise staggered, and feeling faint, nearly collapsed had Pixie not caught her. "Sakura," the fairy began. "There's something out there."

"I know." Sakura said. "That was an extremely nasty counter-spell…wait a minute, that can't be right."

Sakura and Pixie traded a horrified glance, and then with a glance Sakura summoned Berserker. "No matter what," she began, prodding at the Servant's chest with a finger. "Make sure no harm whatsoever comes to Rin Tohsaka. I don't care what kind of enemy shows, what might happen on the battlefield, her safety is priority. Got it?"

There was growling sound, indicative of unhappiness. Sakura narrowed her eyes, but when she spoke, it was soft, and with a surprising amount of sympathy. "You were a knight once, the greatest of them all in fact." She said. "I know too, that there was nothing crueler to you and your love, than the 'mercy' she gave to you both. And when the time comes, I'll allow you to confront her as you will. But until then…"

Sakura paused and sighed. "I'd rather not have to use a command spell." She said. "Will you accept my orders?"

There was a long moment of silence, and then Berserker nodded and grunted. Sakura nodded, and then Berserker vanished back into astral form. "Let's go." Sakura said. Pixie and Rin nodded, following her further along the waterfront.

Sakura now held her ritual dagger before her, muttering spells beneath her breath, her grimoire once again holstered at her thigh. Making her way down to the riverbank, Sakura led them to a passageway leading into the undercity. "I've got a really bad feeling about this." Pixie said.

"I do too." Rin said, feeling the hair on the back of her neck beginning to rise. "There's…something in there."

Sakura spat a word, the loud popping sound causing Rin to jump, and for the air of danger to subside ever so slightly. "Yeah well," Sakura said. "What we're looking for is deep in there. Do you want to just give up?"

"Kotone…" Rin whispered, and then gritting her teeth, shook her head.

"Let's go then."

* * *

"How deep is this place?" Rin asked.

"Deep enough," Sakura said. "All cities tend to have an undercity, a large underground network of power and communication conduits, sewers and water pipes, and tunnels and passageways to access them for repair and maintenance purposes."

"Does anyone even go down here?"

"I just said repair and maintenance, didn't I?" Sakura asked, though she softened it with a smile at Rin, who smiled back sheepishly in the actinic light of the orb of electricity that Sakura was holding in her hand. "Apart from that…the only people who usually go down here are those who don't have anywhere else to go, those who don't want to be found for some reason or another, or those with something to hide."

"And those with beefs against any of those three," Pixie added. "And thus have to hound them out."

"Yeah, what she said."

Rin smiled weakly at the fairy. They walked on in silence, until they reached a junction with a trio of entryways. "Which way?" Rin asked.

Sakura was muttering spells under her breath, and then nodding to herself pointed at the entryway to the right. "This way." She said, leading the way through the entryway, and then up to a locked door. Kicking it down, it led into a large gallery, the ball of energy Sakura was holding sending shadows dancing on the pipes running along the walls on either side and against the ceiling above.

They were halfway through the gallery when Sakura made a sharp turn to the right, to another locked door. Again, kicking it down, Sakura entered a smaller room with another door at the far end. "What is it?" Pixie and Rin asked as Sakura strode across the room, and kicked the other door down as well.

Sakura ignored them at first, simply muttering spells to herself, and then she smiled. "Rider and Waver are here." She said. "Huh…so they're looking for Caster and their Master in the same area too…I wonder how they…"

Sakura broke off as they all felt the air _shift_ , the very atmosphere turning malignant and even _repulsive_ , eyes turning back to the door leading back into the gallery. Something was coming, the sound of something thick and not quite solid nor liquid filling the space beyond and inexorably coming closer growing louder with every passing second…

…and then Rin screamed, Sakura blanched, and Pixie's hair stood on end.

It was a shapeless mass of black matter, glowing faintly from within with a repulsive light, eyelike masses rising and then sinking back into the interior of the… _thing_ , greenish pustules popping as it forced itself into the chamber. Pseudopods extended out towards the trio, eyes focusing on them with an air of malignant and yet _non_ -malignant discovery.

"Tekeli-li!" the thing cried. "Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!"

Sakura grabbed Rin and ran down the passageway opposite from the thing. "SHOGGOTH!" she screamed, Pixie also screaming in terror as she flew beside Sakura.

* * *

Lightning crackled and thunder boomed in the underground chamber, along with the lowing of bulls as Rider immolated the room and everything in it, the only mercy he could give to the tortured souls of the children and other victims preyed upon by Caster and their Master. Waver and Rider looked on with grim solemnity, both bearing witness to the unspeakable crimes committed by their enemy, and silently swearing to give the deaths they'd been forced to inflict meaning by bringing Caster and their Master to justice, one way or another.

Bulls lowed as Rider made to leave the chamber, Rider's chariot turning to go back the way they came…and then they stopped, as both Master and Servant heard screaming getting closer from behind them. "Could it be…?" Waver whispered.

"More victims?" Rider said before narrowing his eyes. "Or…?"

They stared back, over their shoulders, not turning away…until several moments later when Sakura and Pixie jumped out into the light of the flames, the former carrying a girl under her arm. Waver looked surprised, while Rider grinned. The latter was about to speak up in welcome…

…and then he noticed the terrified expressions on their faces.

That could not be good, at all.

"Run you morons, run!" Sakura shouted as she leapt past. Waver and Rider looked at each other, and then the air _shifted_ , the flames seeming to falter and sicken, their light turning…repugnant. And then a black, ever-shifting mass of gelatinous… _something_ , vomited itself out of the passageway, screeching as it extended pseudopods outward.

Waver fainted. Rider shouted in surprise and alarm, whipping his reigns…which might not have been even necessary, as the bulls instinctively sensed the danger and bolted, pulling the chariot along behind them. "Tekeli-li!" the thing screeched. "Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!"

Lightning exploded, and the thing screeched in agony as the pseudopods it used to try and entrap Rider and Waver were blown apart and vaporized. Rider didn't hold back though, and light erupted blinding moments before an explosion erupted into the air outside, sending debris and dust pluming moments before Rider erupted from the cloud and into the sky.

Looking around him in alarm, the Servant sighed in relief as he noticed they were clear. After making sure Waver was still with him – albeit fainted though this time Rider couldn't blame him seeing as even Rider himself was perturbed by…whatever it was – the Servant began looking around for their friend and ally.

Spotting her a good distance away, Rider made to join them, touching down as Sakura finished cleaning up the little girl she'd been carrying and who had apparently been vomiting from terror before Rider had arrived. Again, Rider could not blame her.

"Looks like you got out alright." Sakura observed.

"So we did." Rider agreed. "What was that?"

"That was a shoggoth." Sakura said, looking very shaken. "And we are in serious trouble."

* * *

A/N

First part was a bit difficult to write, but then I decided to go Occam's Razor, i.e. go with the important things and cut out extraneous details as a flashback for Sakura. Then Rin makes her ill-fated rescue attempt (in the anime she succeeded IIRC but in the novel she nearly bit the dirt if not for Kariya bailing her out) with help from Sakura. As you can see, I decided to follow the novel.

Aoi and Tokiomi…ah, you have no idea how long I've _waited_ to write that. I know some people are going to give me grief over it, but I'm eating the popcorn and savoring Aoi and Tokiomi's tears, and I'm sure Sakura would too.

The shoggoths from the anime and the novel are much too watered-down…so let's up the ante, shall we? And this time, the pun _was_ intended.


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Chapter 14

"What's a shoggoth?"

Sakura glanced at Rider, and then smiling turned back to Rin and patted her once on a cheek. As Rin smiled back, Sakura turned to the unconscious Waver, and pointed a finger. "Zio." She said.

Waver jolted awake, jumping to his feet yelling and flailing from the electric shock. Noticing Sakura pointing a finger at him, he connected the dots and glared at her. "GOD DAMN IT, DON'T DO THAT!" he shouted angrily.

"Sorry…but it was the quickest way to get you up." Sakura said, sounding and looking completely serious. "It's not like we could have woken you up just by shaking you, seeing as you'd actually fainted and hadn't just fallen asleep. No, I don't blame you for that. Those…things, shoggoths, are abominations, even by our standards. Anyway, back to you…the alternative was to splash you with cold water…would you have preferred that?"

"…no, I don't." Waver conceded with a sigh. "So, what's a shoggoth?"

Rider smiled and glanced at Sakura. "Yes," he said. "What is a shoggoth?"

"Shoggoths are nasty pieces of work, no two ways about it." Sakura said at once. "They're shapeshifters, originally created by an elder race as a slave race. They used them to build and maintain cyclopean cities and other examples of mega-engineering, as well as other purposes, some of which may have been arcane, or…if certain incidents are any indication…"

Sakura paused and sighed. "Hey," she began. "Do you know about Clarke's Third Law?"

"No."

"No."

"No."

The two magi present, and the one Servant that could speak said so, and Sakura smiled. "It states that any sufficiently advanced form of technology is indistinguishable from magic." She said, and held up a hand to forestall the contention from Rin and Waver alike. "That's a discussion for another day. What matters is the fact that the elder race which created the shoggoths made Clarke's Third Law a matter of fact. Their mastery of the laws of the cosmos would seem like magic to us Humans as we currently stand. And when I say magic, it's what you magi would consider True Magic."

"T-that's impossible!" Waver said.

"Is it?" Sakura asked, shaking her head. "Waver, there's no such things as absolutes. Yes, not even what you consider True Magic. Though, we're straying from the subject, so we'll put that talk aside for later."

"B…oh, alright, I see your point."

"What exactly is this elder race you keep mentioning, Sakura?" Rider asked. "Don't they have a name for themselves, like how we call ourselves Humans?"

"They did," Sakura agreed with a nod. "But it's unpronounceable by the Human tongue and throat. I suppose I could approximate it well enough…if I knew what it was. Unfortunately, whatever they called themselves, the knowledge was lost along with that elder race themselves."

"They don't exist anymore?" Waver asked.

"No," Sakura said. "They don't. They started to decline after they went to war with another elder race with comparable power known as the Mi-Go, but they were eventually wiped out, by their own creations."

"The shoggoths?" Rider asked, and sighed as Sakura nodded. "Destroyed by their own creations, upon which their civilization itself was built…how sad."

Sakura didn't say anything, but then Rin piped up. "Then," she said. "What happened after the shoggoths destroyed their creators?"

Sakura snorted. "That's something of an oversimplification, so sorry about that." She said. "The shoggoths were originally mindless, even more so than animals, but eventually began to develop the ability to think. Eventually, they didn't want to stay as slaves anymore, and rose up against their creators. The Elder Things – as the American author and seer H.P. Lovecraft called them in his writings – managed to put the rebellion down, but couldn't wipe them out, as they were completely dependent on them. By then however, their civilization was in decline…you could say the revolt was what ultimately doomed them. They slowly died out after that, while the shoggoths…continued to grow smarter and smarter…"

"They took their master's places, didn't they?" Waver asked.

"If it were only that bad."

"W-what?" Rin asked.

"The Elder Things, for all that they were incomprehensibly above and beyond Humanity," Sakura said. "Were still beings very much like us. The shoggoths? They were created by means of and were used as part of…things, which blur the line between what is and…what is beyond…"

Sakura sighed, and glanced at Rider. "Earlier," she said. "I said we were in trouble, didn't I?"

Rider nodded. "So you did." He said.

"It's not as bad as it could be." Sakura said. "Shoggoths are transcendental beings, mortal and yet not mortal at the same time, essentially having ascended as a…race, to become demons themselves. But while they're formidable, and require plenty of firepower to kill, they're not invincible."

"Define plenty of firepower." Waver said.

"They heal quickly, and are very big." Sakura said. "A full-grown shoggoth is typically as tall as a five-story house at least, and large enough to match the area of an average city block."

"You've got to be joking…"

"I did say they were used to build and maintain cyclopean cities, didn't I?" Sakura said. "Plus, they're immune to fire and are resistant to most other elemental attacks, while their sheer mass allows them to tank most attacks and to simply crush most opposition…unless they pack serious power. And as shapeshifters, they heal quickly…very quickly."

"Could you deal with a shoggoth?" Rider asked.

"Yes," Sakura said.

"Then why didn't you…" Rin began, only to be interrupted.

"If I dealt with it then and there," Sakura said. "Then I'd likely have buried us alive beneath that section of the undercity. Raw power is the best and most reliable way to deal with those things…but in tunnel fighting? Suicide…"

Rin and Rider nodded in understanding. "I see what you mean." He said, rubbing his chin. "Based on what you said, that shoggoth back there…I probably hurt it bad with me and Waver's escape, but given I just blew off its tentacles, it's probably healed by now. Do you think it might go after us?"

"It might." Sakura said, causing Waver and Rin to yelp. "But I don't think so. Shoggoths are intelligent in their own way, and if I had to guess, that shoggoth was a guard. It's possible that Caster or their Master or even both are devil summoners like me, in which case it'd be more troublesome than expected to deal with them, but I could do it, as could the more powerful Servants and maybe Masters as well. More to the point though, is if it was a guard, then it's probably satisfied with just chasing us off."

"What about Caster and their Master though?" Waver asked. "They might not just be satisfied with just chasing us off…and those things they did to the kids…"

"What things?" Sakura asked, but then blinked as Waver looked down, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. Rider placed a hand on his shoulder, and glanced at Sakura.

"We should talk about this later." He said, and Sakura nodded. Rin though…

"Kotone is dead, isn't she?"

"…if your friend was taken by Caster and their Master…" Rider said softly. "I'm sorry. We did all we could."

Rin sniffed, rubbed at her eyes, and allowing Sakura to pull her into a hug cried quietly into her sister's chest. Sakura said nothing, just silently rubbing her sister's back. For a few minutes, there was only the sound of Rin sobbing, but after those minutes had passed, she pulled back, wiping at her eyes.

Blowing her nose into a kerchief provided by Sakura, Rin glared at the three of them. "M-make sure," she began. "Make sure to g-get them, alright? Kotone…the other kids…everyone those monsters killed…make them pay!"

Rider nodded. "Count on us, little lady." He said, raising a thumb at her. "As a king and as a warrior, I cannot and will not allow those monsters to escape justice."

"I've cried for the victims already." Waver said, his eyes hard and cold. "But…tears alone aren't enough. I _need_ to do more! At the very least, I need to put an end to the bastards who did all those things to the children back there…even if I couldn't help them…at the very least…I…"

Sakura nodded, and like Rider before her, patted Waver on the shoulder. Their eyes met, and after a moment they nodded at each other. "Well," Sakura said. "I've been in a similar spot, and while I still think I just got lucky and not everyone is as lucky as I was…if that's just how reality is, then screw reality! I live as I please, and right now, I am going to kick ass."

Rider smiled and nodded, as did Rin. Waver didn't smile, though he did nod in approval. After a moment though, he narrowed his eyes in thought. "Hey," he began.

"What?"

"You said it could be worse, didn't you?" Waver said. "We're just dealing with shoggoths…how could it get worse?"

"…I really wish you hadn't asked." Sakura said with a sigh. "You might have jinxed us…anyway, it's too late so…why not? For one thing, the elder race that Lovecraft called the Great Old Ones could be involved, or that category of demons that he called the Outer Gods. Now, understand this, about the demons I deal with: they don't function as per Gaian limitations and principles."

"What?" Rin and Waver chorused.

"I did say that nothing was absolute, not even True Magic, didn't I?" Sakura asked. "I'll go into further details another time, but the demons I deal with, past a certain level simply project a…fraction, of themselves into the world or rather plane of reality when they're summoned. Think of avatars as described in Hindu myth, and that's basically how it works. They do it to quantitatively limit the amount of power they exert at any given amount of time, though qualitatively, there's no real difference: an avatar is actually quite as powerful as the real thing. At least, most of the time, they just send avatars."

"Let me guess," Waver said, looking ill. "Those so-called Outer Gods don't bother."

"Nope," Sakura said. "When they appear within a plane of reality, just their very presence, even their smallest action, could end all life on this world. And the worst part? That's just the equivalent of a Human rolling on his bed in the morning and crushing an ant which wandered onto the sheets. Technically any high-level demon could do that, but they usually limit themselves. It makes things easier for them and their allies. The Outer Gods…"

Sakura paused and laughed, shaking her head. "They don't bother – for the most part – to consider what is fundamentally below them." She said. "They prefer to simply _be_ …again, for the most part. There are exceptions, rarely benevolent, usually on a self-interested note: the King in Yellow for example, loathes the Great Old One Cthulhu, and would not hesitate to help mortals and limit himself for their convenience just to satisfy his hatred. Though, the Goat with the Thousand Young has been known to act with maternal sentiment to her followers. Actually, now that I think about it, I remember one instance in another plane of reality, where the Goat with the Thousand Young actually created a Human avatar for herself, to raise and accompany an orphan boy who managed to capture her heart…"

"So they're not completely malevolent." Waver observed, but then narrowed his eyes. "No wait…that's not quite right, is it? After all, it's not so much that they're deliberately malevolent, it's that they don't bother to consider lesser beings such as ourselves, at least most of the time, is that it?"

"Correct," Sakura said with a nod, but then narrowed her eyes. "But, there is one true exception, an Outer God who always limits himself when dealing with mortals, and is truly and deliberately malevolent for the simple reason that it amuses him to be so."

"Who's that?" Rin asked.

Sakura's eyes were like ice. "The Haunter of the Dark," she said. "Nyarlathotep."

At the mention of that name, ghostly, half-heard whispers seemed to echo all around, causing Sakura to rise in alarm and Waver and Rin to look around in fear. Rider narrowed his eyes, one hand coming down to rest on his sword's hilt. After a moment, the whispers stopped…but then a powerful gust of wind blew for a moment, staggering them all before stopping.

"I think I spoke too soon." Sakura said, looking extremely unhappy. "I'd thought we might just be dealing with a bunch of shoggoths that Caster or their Master had summoned and bent to their will…but…"

"But?" Rin said, taking Sakura's hand, and prompting the older sibling to squeeze the younger sibling's hand reassuringly.

"He's here isn't he?" Pixie asked, looking very shaken and pale. "He's here. He's involved in this."

"I get the feeling that Caster's Master really is like me. A devil summoner who summoned a Servant just to properly enter this war for some other agenda." Sakura said. "But worse than that, they may just be followers of the Black Pharaoh. I hope not but…but if I'm wrong, and I'm afraid I am…then we are in very, _very_ , big trouble."

* * *

"So," Pixie asked as Sakura left the bedroom, having tucked Rin into her bed for the night. "What do you plan to do?"

"About Nyarlathotep's likely entry into the war?"

"Yup."

"To be honest," Sakura said with a sigh. "I have no idea. Worst case scenario, I'm going to have to face off against his avatar, much like I did with Beelzebub a few years ago."

Pixie winced. That was the closest Sakura had ever come to actually dying, when Beelzebub had stabbed through the chest. It was pure luck that kept her heart or the major blood vessels from getting hit, or for that matter, surviving an Almighty Class attack she herself had used at point-blank range.

"Well, look on the bright side." Pixie said. "Like with Lord Beelzebub, you should be able to make a contract with Nyarlathotep if you beat him."

"No way," Sakura refused. "Nyarlathotep is ironically enough, a member of the Law faction. Funny…considering one of his titles is the Crawling Chaos, and his methods and hobbies are more in line with ours than theirs…"

"You wouldn't be the first Champion of Chaos to contract with Law demons they've defeated, you know."

"…maybe…but I don't feel like it."

Pixie sighed, and Sakura smiled and shrugged. "In any case," Sakura said. "It's possible that whatever the Crawling Chaos has planned, it all hinges on his agent here. In fact, considering his usual antics, it might be that his agent is being set up to spectacularly and cruelly fail, just to amuse the Crawling Chaos. Either way, there's a good chance that he'll move on after we take out Caster and their Master."

"Will you kill the latter?"

"Nyarlathotep is a being of Law." Sakura said with a smile. "And their agent likely is too. There's no reason to not kill an enemy."

"I knew you'd say that."

"For now," Sakura said while lying down on the couch. "We'll focus on taking out Caster and their Master. If their patron moves on afterward, then all well and good. If they don't…we'll see."

Pixie nodded. "Sounds good," she said. "Will you contact Lord Lucifer?"

"…probably not," Sakura said after a moment's thought, and placing an arm over her eyes. "But I might, depending on how things go from here. I'd rather not get teased or chided by Miss Louisa, for getting involved in something I couldn't handle."

"In your defense you didn't know Nyarlathotep was getting involved in this plane of reality." Pixie said. "Or for that matter, that he was also getting involved in this contest."

"True," Sakura agreed. "But if I couldn't handle it, then the moment I knew he was involved in this contest, I should have backed out. No shame in backing out if it means avoiding trouble that's likely to end everything for me. There is such a thing as surviving today to start over again tomorrow."

"Your uncle would probably just resurrect you."

Sakura raised her arm and frowned at Pixie who grinned and shrugged. After a moment, Sakura smiled herself. "Okay, he would." She admitted. "Still, I'd rather not find out how death is like firsthand, not for a long while yet, or at all if I can."

"Understandable."

* * *

"Hey, master?"

"What is it, Ryuunosuke?"

"Have you noticed that our helpers are getting…strange?"

Master and Servant stared at a shoggoth oozing by, the big black mass speckled with green pustules and sporting lidless eyes here and there squeezing its bulk out one passageway, and then into another. As it passed by, several eyes regarded Caster and Ryuunosuke curiously, but did nothing else. Caster hummed in thought.

"Certainly," he admitted. "They have gotten rather large. They're still obedient however, so I suppose it's probably nothing."

"How'd they grow so big though?" Ryuunosuke asked. "I'm not saying it's uncool or anything like that, in fact I think its SUPER COOOOOOOOL! But you know…I'm just curious."

"There is nothing wrong with that." Caster said approvingly and with a nod. "A good artist should be willing to look at their subject matter from different perspectives, the better to immortalize its image."

"Isn't it?"

Caster nodded at Ryuunosuke's grin, and then turned back to the shoggoth still oozing itself on its way. "I'll admit I'm curious too." He said. "Have they been eating too much? No, they don't need to eat…hmm, is there perhaps something in the water?"

"There might be." Ryuunosuke said. "There's a nuclear power plant some ways inland, and they say American cockroaches grow big because of nuclear waste in the water. Maybe it's the same here."

"I see." Caster said with a nod. "That may be it indeed. But in any case, so long as our helpers continue to perform as we need and desire them to, it is of no concern. And this may even be of use to us."

"Huh? What do you mean, master?"

Caster tutted, wagging his finger like a teacher to a disappointing student. "Isn't it obvious, Ryuunosuke?" he said, waving at the shoggoth oozing past. "They're gotten bigger, and stronger. And sadly, there are all too many people out there with no taste for good art."

"Oh! I see what you mean, master!" Ryuunosuke said with eager nods. "In case those uncool people try to ruin out art, then we just sick our helpers on them! And since they've gotten bigger now…!"

"Exactly, Ryuunosuke!"

"C-C-C-COOOOOOOOOOOOOL!"

* * *

Morning dawned over the city of Fuyuki. In an apartment building, Rin sat cross-legged on the ground, Pixie lying prone beside her, legs waving in the air and chin resting on arms folded against the ground. Their eyes were fixed on the TV screen, which showed a tan-colored giant robot flying fast across a star field.

The scene shifted, to a platinum-blonde man in a white uniform sitting in a cockpit. He turned his head and scowled, eyes fixed on a fleet in the distance.

"The damn Titans Fleet," the man said. "I told them not to get in the Colony Laser's line of fire!"

Rin kept on watching, eyes wide and expression entranced, the scene shifting to a warship's bridge with the crew in spacesuits. "Energy charge approaching critical!" one man said to the captain. "Captain Bright!"

"Wait!" the captain said. "We need to wait until all friendlies are out of the Colony Laser's line of fire!"

In the kitchen Sakura shook her head in mixed amazement and amusement. " _Who'd have thought Rin would get so caught up in anime?_ " she thought. " _And Zeta Gundam of all things…then again, it is **Zeta**. Nothing beats Zeta, especially not that cheap rip-off Destiny._ **"**

Lips twitched into a smile, and Sakura began to hum 'Believing in a Sign of Zeta' as she thought how Tokiomi and Aoi would react if Rin got into anime. " _It'll be good for her._ " Sakura thought. " _She needs some enjoyment in life, otherwise she'll end up a cold, sterile, and heartless person like her father. Anime should be good enough for a child…but when she gets older…_ "

Sakura giggled at the thought of what kind of boy Rin would eventually prefer, and then glanced into the living room as Rin sneezed three times in quick succession. "Excuse me." She said, rubbing her nose, and Sakura shrugged before turning back to her cooking.

* * *

"Okay," Sakura said as she cleared the table after breakfast. "The Crawling Chaos and the Holy Grail War aside, we've got another problem."

"What's that?" Pixie asked while nibbling on a strawberry.

Sakura jabbed her thumb in Rin's direction. "It's not that I mind Rin staying over," she said. "In fact I like it very much, but…"

"What will…my parents, say?" Rin asked.

"Yes." Sakura said with a nod, and Pixie nodded as well.

"Yeah, that is a problem isn't it?" she said. "Not as bad as our other problems, but still a problem for all that."

"I can just tell them I slept over at a friend's place." Rin said.

"And if they called your friend's parents to thank them for their hospitality or to apologize for any inconvenience?" Sakura pointed out. "Then what?"

"…what do you think I should do then?"

Sakura crossed her arms, lowered her face and closed her eyes in thought. Rin looked on for several moments before glancing at Pixie, but the fairy was too busy eating a strawberry to care. Frowning, Rin turned back to Sakura, who after a few moments opened her eyes and smiled at her.

"You might as well tell them you stayed with me." She said.

"What?"

"Of course," Sakura began. "They'd probably demand that you tell them where I'm living at…if so, just tell them you signed a magical contract promising not to tell anyone where I'm staying."

"You want me to lie to my parents?"

"You were willing to do just that barely a couple of minutes ago."

Rin fumbled for a bit, and then she sighed. "Papa's probably going to scold me for signing a magic contract though." She said.

"You'd still get scolded regardless anyway."

"That's not very comforting at all."

"Yeah, I guess not. Sorry about that." Sakura said, pulling at an ear. "Alternatively, you could stay here until the war ends, I'm more than capable of protecting you fully, you know. Actually, I like that idea better: someone might try and get you to get at your father or me. This way though…"

Sakura trailed off, and just stared at Rin, who also stared back. After a moment, Sakura smiled. "It's up to you." She said, and picking up the dirty plates and utensils, carried them to the sink. Rin lowered her face in thought, while Sakura hummed a catchy tune over at the sink, which she was filling with soapy water.

After several long moments, Rin took a deep breath, and looked at her older sister. "After the war," she said. "You'll be going again, won't you?"

Sakura looked at Rin, and nodded. "Yeah," she said. "I've got a life, and jobs to do."

Rin's eyes faltered, but Sakura's didn't. Rin closed her eyes for a long moment, and then turned away. "Will you come back?" she asked softly.

"Maybe," Sakura said, turning off the water and wiping her hands while returning. "Depends on how things go…who knows? Operations might be expanded to this plane of reality. If they are…I think I might just come back."

"I see. But…even if you do…"

"Things change," Sakura said, leaning on a chair, her eyes resolute and determined, though her expression seemed to have a slight hint of sadness to it. "Times change. Change is the only real constant there is. I have changed. Even you have changed. You see, the important thing is to control the change, and not be controlled by it."

Sakura smiled at Rin, and reaching forward gently caressed her cheek. Rin lowered her face, and then taking a deep breath nodded. "I understand." She said. "At least…I think I do. And…I…I don't blame you."

"No, I don't think you do." Sakura said with a nod. "That's good. I'm not sure you completely understand yet, but…I think you've taken your first step to being able to think and act for yourself, and not simply dance to the tune of other people. Remember Rin: you are who you and you alone choose to be."

Rin nodded slowly, and then took another deep breath. "Yes, I'll remember that." She said. "And also…I…I've made my decision. Until this war ends, I'll stay with you."

"Is that so? Then, I'm glad to hear that." Sakura said, walking over to stand next to Rin. "But, what's your reasoning?"

"If…if you don't come back…" Rin whispered. "Then…then it will be my only…my last…chance, to have memories with my…my sister. My sister who doesn't…who doesn't exist anymore…"

Lowering her face, Rin quietly began to cry, not stopping even when Sakura stepped up behind her, and placed comforting hands on Rin's shoulders.

* * *

A/N

Actually yes, Nyarlathotep is aligned with Law.

I know the Fourth Holy Grail War took place in 1994, so some of you are probably wondering why Sakura is referencing Gundam Seed Destiny, which came out in 2004. Thing is, in her adopted timeline, it's already 2007, with about thirteen years having passed from her perspective. Though that does beg the question…what if Sakura enters a timeline where Fate/Stay Night is a VN, and actually plays it? Oh _boy_ …

Will Rin become a Gundam fangirl? Hmm…maybe she will. Can you imagine _zettai ryouiki_ extraordinaire Rin Tohsaka standing on stage in a Zeon uniform? And proclaiming 'Zeon thirsts for the strength of its people!'? There'll be mass defections from the Federation side.

Caster and Uryuu…the only people who wouldn't freak out at a _shoggoth_ oozing by.


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Chapter 15

 _In another timeline_

The Matou mansion burned. Masonry creaked and groaned as flames hungrily licked out of broken doors and windows, the smoke pouring through holes in the roof lit from below with angry red and orange.

Craters littered the grounds surrounding the mansion, along with splinters and broken fragments of destroyed trees. Dead worms were everywhere, and guarded by a towering, gold-skinned demon, a terrified Sakura Matou and her older brother Shinji Matou cowered in one corner.

With an angry roar, the mansion roof caved in, sending sparks and flames jetting into the sky, and more flames belching out from the doors and windows. And there, before the burning mansion, bathed in its infernal glow and with sparks drifting down all around her, guarded by two other demons, is our heroine.

Villain Protagonist is such a wonderful trope…even more so, since 'villain' can be such a matter of perspective.

Resplendent in black, red, and gold, Devil Summoner Extraordinaire Sakura Matou stood triumphant over her nemesis. Broken and beaten, Zouken Matou lay on the ground, bound with chains of hell-forged iron with hooked barbs three inches long tearing into his flesh, one side of his face crushed against the ground by Sakura's boot. Witchcraft kept him from healing his injuries, using his magic…and ultimately, even if he could, it would do him no good whatsoever.

After all, had Sakura not stormed his home, his workshop, and laid waste to five hundred years of accumulated research before brutally beating him down and chaining him at her mercy?

"Now then," Sakura said cheerfully. "How shall I, the brutal, lawless and renegade villainess make my gloating speech to the broken yet valiant and defiant hero? Oh I know! Ahem…as I said to your counterparts from other timelines, I am appalled…at myself."

Sakura sighed with disappointment. "Seriously," she said. "Why have I never thought before of doing something as satisfying as this, that is travelling between timelines and destroying everything you are, have, and sought, and then throwing you into the depths of hell?"

Sakura sighed again and shook her head. "Anyway," she continued. "Now that that's over, let's get down to business. You were never a shining conversationalist anyway, so…"

Sakura trailed off with a shrug, and smiling with anticipation, held up her ritual dagger. Making a slicing motion through the air, there was the sound of cloth tearing, and reality tore open to allow hellish light and sulfurous air to billow out. Sakura – the other one, not the devil summoner – felt her hair rise on end while beside her brother wet and soiled himself in terror, finding themselves looking into a bottomless pit, its walls lined with cavorting demons of every shape and size, inhuman and soulless voices and laughter pouring out along with the screams and the wails of the damned.

"Goodbye, grandfather." Sakura – the devil summoner – said, picking up Zouken, who frantically shook his head and pleaded with his eyes (what with his jaw smashed to a bloody ruin). "I hope hell is to your liking, since you'll be staying there forever. I doubt it will be though…and I really enjoy the thought."

Smiling wide, Sakura threw Zouken into hell, and threw her head back and laughed at the impossible wail of utter horror and despair from the old man as his body and soul were torn apart by the demons of hell, consigned to unspeakable torment for all eternity. Shinji fainted, while Sakura – not the devil summoner – vomited.

Then there was the sound of something falling on the ground, and Sakura – not the devil summoner – looked up. She wished she hadn't. It was a skull, a grinning Human skull, polished and steaming as though from great heat. She knew whose it was, and knew it was only recently stripped clean of flesh.

Devil Summoner Sakura kicked it up from the ground, and catching it with a hand grinned and stuck her head through the portal. "Thanks guys!" she said. "It was nice working with you!"

There was inhuman laughter and countless voices speaking all at once, and Sakura laughed as she stepped back from the portal, golden irises fading back into blue as she did so. She gestured, and the portal sealed itself with the sound of a zipper being pulled shut.

"Okay," she said, lowering the skull and tapping her chin. "Now what…oh right! Now I remember!"

Devil Summoner Sakura turned to her counterpart. "Ziodyne!" she said, and with an electric blue flash of light, a smoking husk was sent flying across the grounds. The devil summoner approached, tossing the skull in a hand, and held out her free hand over her counterpart's remains. "And…Samarecarm."

There was a gentle white glow, and Sakura – not the devil summoner – opened her eyes, gasping explosively as she forced air into her lungs under her own power. "Sorry about that," Devil Summoner Sakura said. "But I have to kill you first to use Samarecarm. I mean, I could get rid of the worms with normal healing spells, but to completely reverse their effect, and return you to as you should be at your healthiest…?"

The devil summoner smiled while kneeling down, and pulling out a pocket mirror held it out for her counterpart to look at her reflection with. The other girl gasped again, reaching out with a shaking hand, touching her reflection, her eyes and hair untainted as they had been nearly ten years ago.

"How does it feel?" Devil Summoner Sakura asked gently. "To be rid of the worms, and to be clean again, without whatever it was that worthless worm did to you, apart from the memories?"

Sakura – not the devil summoner (this is getting tiresome) – burst into tears of joy. Devil Summoner Sakura patted her on a shoulder. "We'll be in touch." She said before getting up. Tossing Zouken's skull to one of her demons, she asked how many they had.

"Twelve?" she echoed, and Sui-Ki nodded in confirmation. "Okay, that should be enough. Let's go back and start teaching my little sister about the wonderful world of witchcraft!"

Drawing her dagger again, Devil Summoner Sakura opened a portal into the Labyrinth of Amala, and leaping through followed by her demons, went back to the setting of the story.

* * *

Kiritsugu Emiya blinked awake, and then eyes flying wide in panic, started flailing about wildly as he realized where he was. Or rather…

…where was he?

He was naked, and floated in some kind of thick, syrupy, sweetish-sour fluid with a breathing mask attached to his face which provided him with oxygen through a hose leading up to a…metal, something. And as he flailed about, he felt himself striking glass and realized he was in some kind of tank.

 _What the hell?_

"KIRI!" a familiar voice could be heard shouting, followed by the muffled sound of running feet. Moments later, and through the glass and fluid, he could see his wife's tearful face.

Kiritsugu immediately felt reassured and bad at the same time. Reassured, since it was Irisviel, and that meant that whatever this was, it was probably nothing to be worried about. Bad, because his wife was crying, and he wasn't able to do anything about it. That was _not_ alright, at all.

Even worse, _he_ was probably was the cause of her crying.

 _Searing heat…crushing force…indescribable agony…_

Kiritsugu tried to say something, but it only came out as muffled and unintelligible sounds through his mask. Irisviel wiped her tears away, and shook her head. "I'm alright." She said with a smile that was both happy and sad at the same time. "Really, I am…though I'll be better once you're out of there."

Irisviel paused and sighed. "I'll give you the details after you get out," she said. "But long story short, we had to put together a regeneration capsule not only to save you but to actually heal you completely. The amount of damage done was just too much to be fixed with just normal healing spells."

Kiritsugu said something, again only coming out as muffled and unintelligible sounds. Irisviel smiled at him. "I don't know what you just said," she said. "But I can guess. You should be out in a week at most, though I suppose I could let you out in just a couple of days and just do stopgap work on the rest with healing magic. How does that sound?"

Kiritsugu frantically nodded his head, and Irisviel sighed. "I should have known you'd take that option." She said. "Then again, that's just like you, my darling."

She placed a hand on the glass, and after a moment of fumbling Kiritsugu placed his lone functioning hand opposite hers, separated only by the thin layer of glass. "Don't push yourself." Irisviel finally said. "The war is barely entering its middle phase, and you'll still have lots of work to do when you get out. And you may not be at your best if you come out early. So, you should sleep as much as you can. If nothing else, it'll help your body heal, and it's not like you can do anything else either."

Kiritsugu didn't like that at all…but he couldn't argue the point either. Irisviel smiled reassuringly, no doubt noticing his unhappiness through the glass and fluid alike.

"Alright then," she said, stepping back. "I'll go tell Maiya and Saber that you're up again. In the meantime, you just rest alright?"

Kiritsugu nodded, and then Irisviel turned and left. Left on his own, Kiritsugu sighed as best he could. A regeneration capsule? How did they manage to put one together so quickly and on such short notice?

Well, he probably shouldn't complain, given the circumstances, but still.

Kiritsugu sighed again. The situation was far from ideal, no doubt the other Masters and Servants were raising merry hell by themselves, prolonging the war unnecessarily and increasing the risk of things spiraling out of control, unnecessarily involving civilians and other such things that he sought to avoid as much as possible.

Not that he could do much about that, at least until he got out of this tube. Hopefully it would be soon, and once Irisviel put him back to speed on what had been going on while he had been recovering, he could get back on track on putting an end to the war…and indeed, to all war and suffering, bringing the world lasting peace at last.

But that was in the future. And no one – not even him – knew everything that might and could happen on the battlefield. And he had to get out of the tube first.

Remembering his wife's advice, Kiritsugu decided in the interests of quickening his recovery and husbanding his strength to take said advice, and closing his eyes went to sleep.

* * *

"I see, Kiritsugu has awoken then." Saber said while nodding slowly. "That much is good news. I do not mean to speak ill or imply dissatisfaction with you Irisviel, but Kiritsugu _is_ my Master. It would be a stain on my honor should he fall as a result of my absence leaving him vulnerable."

"It's alright," Irisviel said with a smile, sitting down opposite Saber. "I understand what you mean. But, you shouldn't blame yourself too much. After all, it wasn't as though you deliberately left his side and left Kiri unprotected. He did order you to protect me, didn't he?"

"Even so, I…"

"It doesn't matter, Saber." Irisviel interrupted. "He gave you an order, and you obeyed. You fulfilled it to the best of your abilities, and it was. There is no shame in either of those. And neither you nor Kiri could have predicted what happened at the castle. Nor could you be everywhere you needed to be at all at once. There is no responsibility on your end."

Saber still looked unconvinced, and indeed opened her to rebut, but seeing the stern and immovable expression on Irisviel's face sighed and nodded. "Very well," she said. "I accept your reasoning, Irisviel."

Irisviel beamed at Saber before getting up again, and walked into the kitchen adjacent to the dining room. She returned after a couple of moments with a tea set, and setting it down and sitting down herself, began pouring tea into a teacup. "Tea?" she asked.

"Please."

Irisviel nodded, and placed a teacup on a saucer in front of Saber before preparing a cup for herself. Saber took a sip of her tea, and then replaced the teacup on its saucer. "Now that Kiritsugu has awakened however," she began. "When do you think he – and we – will be ready to return to the contest?"

"It would be better for him to stay in the capsule for another week to fully heal." Irisviel said. "That said, his replacement limbs are growing well, along with much of his hair and skin. And…down there…"

Irisviel giggled while Saber just coughed. "Yes, and?" she pressed.

"Oh…right, ahem, anyway," Irisviel continued, her cheeks pink. "He should be able to be up and about in just a few days instead of a week, though I'll have to use healing magecraft to bring him up to full speed. That said, it's not going to be as good as complete healing within the capsule though."

Saber nodded in understanding. "I can see his reasoning." She said. "While there is merit in waiting until one is at one's full strength once more before returning to battle, at times, it is better to take swift and decisive action over stagnating in passivity, in particular when it comes to seizing the initiative before the enemy does."

"I'm sure Kiritsugu thinks the same way." Irisviel said with a nod, and then she sighed. "I'm not happy about it, but…"

Irisviel just trailed off, and after a few moments took a drink of her tea before looking out the open sliding doors to the veranda outside. Not knowing what to say herself, Saber just briefly closed her eyes, and then lifting her teacup, also took a drink of her tea.

* * *

The sound of industry filled Sakura's rental apartment…well, not really.

More like the sound of handcrafting actually.

With hammer and chisel, knives and other hand tools, Sakura and Rin were busy carving runes and other arcane symbols into skulls, while Pixie looked on. Again, not really, as instead the fairy was using her fey powers and other skills to good use. In particular, the fairy was in charge of monitoring the drones scattered across the city while Sakura and Rin were studying witchcraft (or rather Sakura was teaching Rin witchcraft).

"Where'd you get the skulls?" Rin asked while consulting the Book of the All-Seeing Eye (after she'd promised not to turn the pages without consulting her sister first).

"Somewhere," Sakura said with a shrug, painstakingly carving inscriptions inside a skull's eye socket.

"That's not really an answer."

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes."

Sakura frowned at Rin, who blushed, but then Sakura sighed and lowered the skull she was working on. "Alright, I won't give you the details since they're too young for that." She said. "But I'll tell you what I can. The skulls are from bad men, who liked to torture and eat babies and little girls."

"…really?"

Sakura looked at Rin, unimpressed. "Do you really think I'm joking?" she asked, and Rin looked at the skull she'd been working on in horror.

"They got what they deserved," Sakura said. "And now they're also in hell just as they deserve. In the meantime, since they no longer need their heads or their skulls in particular, let's put them to use instead of just letting them rot."

"B-but…"

Sakura again looked at Rin, unimpressed. "Tell me," she said. "When you make familiars you use the bodies of dead animals, right?"

"Well, papa doesn't let me make familiars yet but…yeah, we do."

"Then what's the difference?" Sakura said. "Especially since if you need familiars and can't find a dead body anywhere, you'd just kill some random animal wouldn't you? Mentally enslave another person? All for the sake of magecraft, right?"

"T-that's not…"

"Hypocrisy is the ugliest thing in all of creation, Rin." Sakura said. "If you do bad, then admit it. Your intentions may be good and beautiful, but bad is bad. To be honest, such things are hollow…but you already know that, don't you, _Magus Tohsaka_? Do what you have to do, no matter how terrible it might be, to honor your family and advance your lineage, isn't it?"

Rin lowered her head, and after a few moments, nodded. "Yes." She whispered. "I know that."

"In that case," Sakura said. "Let's not use words like good and bad. Beautiful and ugly work better. No matter what intentions you might have, don't attempt to disguise it. A beautiful thing is a beautiful thing, and ugly things are ugly things. They will never be anything but what they are."

"Yes."

"If you find no problem in killing animals or…controlling, people with your powers to achieve your ends," Sakura continued. "Then again, I ask, what's the difference? Why is it suddenly so wrong to use the skulls of dead monsters for your own purposes?"

Rin sighed and shook her head. "There's no difference." She finally admitted. "It's no different from taking a dead animal off the street, putting their body back together, and using magic to turn them into a familiar."

Sakura beamed. "Now, you're catching on." She said, and then held up the skull again to continue carving inscriptions into an eye socket. Rin smiled too, and then turned back to the Book of the All-Seeing Eye. After several minutes, Sakura lowered the skull, and examining it one last time, tossed it to Rin. "Ready to give it a go?"

"Okay." Rin said with a nod, holding the skull in one hand, and running her other hand's fingers along the runes and array carved on top and around the crown. Taking a deep breath, she began to cast the spell taught to her by Sakura, and without activating her magic circuits even.

The first syllables had barely been spoken before Sakura shushed her. "No, no, that'll never work." Sakura said, stepping over to sit behind Rin, and placing her hands over her little sister's. "Here, let me guide you. Just _feel_. Don't think. Let it happen."

"But I…"

" _Feel_."

Rin sighed, and trying one more time, took a deep breath and cleared her mind. One by one, the syllables forced their way out of her throat, her tongue twisting as it struggled to shape the sounds, her fingers feeling the shape and flow and _essence_ of the runes and lines carved into the bone beneath, and slowly…so slowly…Rin _felt_ herself slipping away, everything but herself and her grip on reality ceasing to be, her voicing echoing unreal and _inhuman_ even to her ears, and then she… _felt_ …something, give…and then…

Rin jolted and blinked, the skull in her hand jolting likewise. It floated up and turned to face her, the runes and such carved on it glowing ghastly white, spectral flames burning in its eyes sockets and at its base. It regarded Rin for a moment, and then it bowed.

"See, you can do it after all." Sakura said with a laugh, and patting Rin on the head. "The first few times are the hardest, since you'll be focusing so much on what it is you're doing. But as you get used to it more and more, it becomes natural, shaping reality that is, and you'll be able to perform witchcraft while conscious."

"Shaping…reality…?" Rin echoed while looking at Sakura over her shoulder.

"Yes," Sakura said with a nod. "You could even say it's like what you call True Magic."

"No way!"

"Really?" Sakura asked. "Let's not get too academic here, but…hmm, alright, True Magic is anything that is impossible by the rules of the World, but still happens regardless, yes? And magecraft is replicating miracles by taking advantage of the rules, right?"

"Yes…"

"Then," Sakura said. "What I've just taught you is you wanting and doing something, and if the rules of the World say otherwise, then you just ignore them and it happens regardless. In short…impossible by the rules of the World, but it still is. That is, True Magic!"

Rin's mouth fell open, and Sakura patted her on the head. "Of course," she said. "You've only just started. But yes, you've taken your first steps on becoming a – in a way – sorceress, though you don't necessarily have to be a devil summoner like me, or any one of the five 'orthodox' sorcerers that magi recognize. There are other options for you in the future, and I promise that if you want to continue along this path, I'll do everything I can to make sure you can."

"…wow…I…" Rin fumbled, her cheeks pink and lowering her face as she struggled to keep from smiling. "I don't know what to say."

"Do you have to say anything?"

She didn't, as instead with a happy shout, Rin just turned and threw herself at Sakura, the sisters just falling to the ground laughing in a tumble of limbs.

* * *

Ryuunosuke sighed as he and Caster stood amidst a collapsed section of their workshop, where once their masterpiece had been prepared and worked on, a shoggoth happily oozing and gurgling behind them. Sensing the young man's unhappiness, a tendril reached out to rub against Ryuunosuke's shoulder, the young man patting it in acknowledgement.

"Maybe we had too much fun," he began. "So God punished us."

Almost immediately, Caster frantically grabbed Ryuunosuke by the arms, and catching him and the shoggoth by surprise. "Let me tell you, Ryuunosuke." He said before raising his voice. "GOD NEVER PUNISHES HUMANS! HE MERELY TOYS WITH THEM!"

"M-master?"

Caster lowered his voice. "Once, I committed greater atrocities and blasphemies than had ever been done before on this Earth." He said. "But, no matter how much I killed and defiled, divine retribution never came! Next I knew…my quest for evil had been ignored for eight whole years. And in the end, it was not God who destroyed me, but just self-interested men no different from myself! The Church and the Nation condemned and executed me simply because they coveted my wealth and lands! What brought an end to my evil was not judgment or anything of the sort. It was simply theft!"

Ryuunosuke stared for a long moment, and then he briefly narrowed his eyes. "But, master," he began. "God still exists, doesn't he?"

Caster withdrew his hands in disbelief. "You are faithless nor have you ever witnessed a miracle," he said in confusion. "So why would you think such a thing?"

"Well, while the world looks like it's boring," Ryuunosuke reasoned. "You just have to look to find all sorts of crazy stuff!"

Ryuunosuke began to pace, gesturing wildly as Caster looked on. "I've always thought about things like this," he continued. "That there's no way such a wonderful world could exist because of a coincidence. And once you really start to enjoy it, you'll find no better entertainment in the world! So, there has to be an entertainer out there writing the script for five billion people. And if there's any way to describe someone like that, it has to be God, isn't it?"

"But, Ryuunosuke," Caster began. "If it's like that, do you think God loves Humanity?"

"He's head over heels!" Ryuunosuke answered with a grin. "He wouldn't be able to keep writing about this world if he didn't! And I'm sure he has loads of fun writing about it all, enjoying his work all the time. What's more, while God loves Human virtues like hope and courage, he loves screams, blood, and despair just as much. Because if he didn't, then there's no way fresh guts would be so colorful. That's why, I'm sure, God loves the whole world just so much!"

"In an age where people have forgotten faith and nations have forsaken God's will," Caster began with a confused tone, and which suddenly turned to veiled awe. "I had not expected to find faith as fresh and deep as yours!"

Caster bowed low. "You're so admirable," he said. "Ryuunosuke, my Master!"

"Oh come on," Ryuunosuke said with a laugh, scratching at his head. "Don't make me blush."

Caster suddenly rose though, with a questioning expression on his face. "But," he began. "Wouldn't my blasphemies then simply be a farce in the eyes of your faith?"

"Oh no!" Ryuunosuke quickly said. "After all, it takes real talent to play the part of the villain, right? If you ask me, God just loves your antics."

Caster began to laugh, a laugh that quickly turned hysterical before he cast his eyes and reached up with his hands to the heavens. "So you say that blasphemy and praise are merely two sides of the same coin to you?" he asked. "Ryuunosuke! Truly, you are the herald of a deep and profound philosophy! A God who makes puppets of all men for His own sport, and is simply another clown Himself…I see!"

Caster grinned and drew near to Ryuunosuke, who bore an equally eager smile and pose himself. "Then His vicious ways finally make sense." The Servant said. "Very well! We must stain the Garden of God with the brilliant colors of despair and terror! We'll have to show the director in Heaven that He ia not alone in knowing true entertainment!"

"Are we going to do something awesome again, master?" Ryuunosuke asked before leaping around in joy. "COOOL! COOOOOOOOOOOOL!"

* * *

A/N

A just punishment, from the evil to the depraved. Except Devil Summoner Sakura's not really evil, she's ironically Chaotic Neutral, i.e. she'll be 'good' if it suits her, and if being 'evil' suits her, then she'll be 'evil'. That said, I do share her wish that Zouken finds hell to his liking. It's not like he'll be leaving any time soon, after all.

Oh Ryuunosuke, why…? It hasn't even been a day, and a shoggoth already likes you. It doesn't make sense, and yet it does.


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon. I also do not own the Megami Tensei franchise, it belongs to Atlus.

Disclaimer: this story is pure crack. Read at your own risk, the author will not take responsibility for instances of RAGE provoked by this work.

Upping the Ante

Chapter 16

"Zio."

Electricity lashed out and fried another cockroach. "Six," Pixie muttered. "That's six damn cockroaches. This hasn't been a problem before while staying here, so why now all of a sudden? Something's not right here."

Pressing several keys in succession on Sakura's laptop, Pixie reoriented the drones monitoring potential hotspots across the city, to see if there was anything else that was…off. At first there didn't seem to be anything, but then a somewhat distant noise, that of many birds squawking all at once drew her attention.

Flying out the window, Pixie hovered at the balcony and looked up. The fairy narrowed her eyes as she saw flocks of birds flying by overhead. And not just over the apartment alone: looking further afield, Pixie could see other flocks all heading away and out of the city.

 _Wait, what?_

Rushing back to the laptop, Pixie again reoriented the drones. Within moments, she found what she was looking for: across the entire city, dogs and other animals were all very agitated, barking loudly at seemingly nothing, and tugging desperately at their leashes or scratching at their containers to get away. In fact, cats were nowhere to be found, and while that was not necessarily unusual, considering the birds were leaving the city and bugs were coming out of the woodwork…

"Zio." Pixie said, frying another cockroach. Flying over to the bed where the sisters were fast asleep, she began to poke Sakura on the cheek. "Sakura…Sakura…wake up. We've got a big problem."

Sakura blinked herself awake, and seeing the serious expression on Pixie's face, got up with a groan, moving carefully so as to not disturb Rin. "What is it?" she asked as she got off the bed. "Did the Army of Heaven invade all of sudden? Or did Tokiomi Tohsaka find us? The former would be quite welcome, actually. Then there'd be all sorts of fun."

Pixie rolled her eyes. "Yes well," he said. "None of the above. No, it's more that there are bad omens popping up all over the place."

"Bad omens?" Sakura asked, wide-eyed. "What are you taking about?"

"Well to start with, I've fried seven cockroaches so far." Pixie said, flying over to the laptop with Sakura following behind. "Consider cockroaches haven't been a problem until now in this building…and I've spotted birds leaving the city by the flock…"

Pixie trailed off while gesturing at the computer screen. Sakura took a look at it, blinked, and then narrowed her eyes. "What the hell?" she said. "The animals are going haywire."

"Yeah, you see what I mean?"

"I think I do." Sakura said slowly. "I think it might be a good idea to look into this further."

Pixie nodded. "Agreed." She said. "So?"

Sakura silently went to the toilet, where she took a ceramic basin and filled it with water. "Scrying?" Pixie asked as Sakura returned, and placed the basin on the floor. Sakura nodded, sitting down cross-legged by the basin. Pulling out her ritual dagger, she slit a finger and allowed several drops of blood to fall into the water.

As the water turned to a light, smoky red from the blood, Sakura waved her undamaged hand over the water, all the while muttering words in Latin. The water darkened, ripples gently disturbing its surface, and Pixie and Sakura looked into its depths together.

Abruptly, the ripples stopped. The water turned completely black. And then an iris appeared, utterly inhuman and shining in every color imaginable and unimaginable, centered on a pupil that was blacker than black, an utter void that opened into nothing and yet _was_.

The basin exploded, spraying acid everywhere as Sakura reeled and Pixie reeled back, the former clutching at her head. Rin woke with a shout of alarm, sitting up and looking around. And then seeing Sakura apparently in pain, rushed over. "Nee-chan!" she said.

"I-I'm fine." Sakura stammered out, getting to her feet. Rin blinked, her sister's irises seeming to have been faded gold for just a moment, but then dismissed it as a trick of the light. They were clearly blue now, just like her own.

"What was that?" Rin asked.

"Sakura, the water turned to acid!" Pixie exploded. "And before that… _did you see that?_ "

"Yeah, I know." Sakura said, running a hand through her hair. "If that wasn't a bad omen, I don't what is. No wait…that wasn't a bad omen."

"Huh?"

"Um…what happened?" Rin asked, completely lost. Pixie glanced at the little girl, and quickly explained the bad omens she'd been finding all over the place, and how Sakura had tried to scry what might happen.

"And?"

"I don't know." Sakura said. "We definitely saw something, part of what might happen, or what might be behind it…"

"Well whatever it was, it's really nasty and powerful." Pixie said as Sakura trailed off. "It _transmuted_ the scrying medium, and countered the scrying spell explosively! And worse, it might even have perceived us!"

"Might?" Sakura echoed. "It _did_ perceive us. You said it yourself: it countered my scrying spell explosively."

Pixie narrowed her eyes. "You think it might have something to do with…you know?" she asked, and Sakura likewise narrowed her eyes.

"The Crawling Chaos?" she asked, and Pixie nodded. "…it might. Damn it…we need to meet up with Rider and Waver immediately. They're going to need to know about this."

"Should we warn the others as well?"

Sakura silently considered the idea for several moments. "They might not take us at our word." She finally said. "We've earned Rider and Waver's trust, since they're our allies, and I lived up to my end of the alliance when we checked the undercity. Besides, a lot of what we say would be…unbelievable, and I don't want to tip my hand too much demonstrating its true like we did with Rider, Waver, and Clotho. And even then…"

"They might think it's a ploy of some kind?"

"They might." Sakura said with a nod. "We could try getting the Oversee to vouch for us but…"

"Yeah, the Church is an organization of Law." Pixie said with a sigh. "And guess what? The Crawling Chaos is aligned with Law. Yeah, that's going to go down really well."

Pixie paused and then looked at Sakura. "Do you think they…" she began, but Sakura shook her head.

"I don't think so." She said. "The Crawling Chaos doesn't usually operate with those guys. That said, again, let's not tip our hand too much. Considering how important – somewhat – this whole contest is, I imagine the Overseer sends plenty of reports to Rome. Let's not tip off Law's top agents that someone of my level is here."

"They'll probably figure out an agent of Chaos is here."

"Yes, but not how powerful that agent is." Sakura said with a wink. "When all is said and done after all, the Holy Grail War's not that big a deal. You normally wouldn't think a particularly powerful agent or champion would be sent to mess with it."

"True," Pixie admitted. "We're here only because it's a personal job, and it's not even the contest we're after, but what could be behind it?"

"Behind it?" Rin echoed, causing the devil summoner and the fairy to glance at her, all but having forgotten she was there.

"Yes, the Greater Grail's got something of interest to my employer for this job, Ahriman." Sakura said. "My job's basically to figure out if it's really worth going after."

"I see…but, what's the Greater Grail? Is it connected to the Holy Grail?"

"Yes." Sakura said with a nod. "The Holy Grail has two parts you see. There's the Lesser Grail, which is basically a container to collect the energy of fallen Servants in. Then there's the Greater Grail, which is the actual wish-granting machine. When six Servants fall and their energies are collected in the Lesser Grail, it's connected to the Greater Grail to provide power to grant wishes with."

"Oh, I see!" Rin said with a quick nod. "So that's the Holy Grail works!"

Sakura laughed, and ruffled her sister's hair. "It's an oversimplification," she said. "But yes, that's how the Holy Grail works. Anyway, go and freshen up, we're heading out. We need to see our friends and allies, and then put a stop to whatever's brewing."

"Yes!"

* * *

In the end, Sakura did decide to warn the other Masters, dispatching drones to deliver written warnings and explanations. In the meantime, she and Rin went to see Rider and Waver at a café not far from the river, albeit in the more affluent districts. Its name was Ahnenerbe.

Rin and Pixie ate their slices of raspberry pie with gusto (it was their third slices already), while the adults more sedately ate meat and vegetable pies washed down with coffee. "I see." Rider said. "Bad omens huh…personally, I don't put too much stock into those things. I mean, you have heard about the Gordian Knot, right?"

"Yes," Sakura said with a nod before smirking knowingly. "I've also heard that you dragged the oracle from her room when she refused to make a reading for you, and her anger at the…ahem, disrespect caused her to give a prophecy on the spot…without any of the usual means the priests used to get the spirit of Apollo to possess her."

Rider burst out laughing. "Oh, so you've heard about that!" he said. "In my defense though, I'd come a long way to see the oracle, and to just get refused because they were embarrassed that the last prophecy they gave essentially foretold my father's death…"

Sakura laughed and shook her head. "What was it she said anyway?" she asked.

Rider smiled. "What does history say she said?" he asked.

"History says 'nothing can hold you back, boy!' or so it's recorded."

Rider whistled. "Well what do you know?" he said. "They actually got it right."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Sakura was taken aback for a moment. "Anyway," she said. "Going back to the main point…"

Rider nodded. "Yes," he said. "This time too we'll have to take the omens at face value. After what we saw last night, and knowing of your skill in your arts…I have no reason to not accept your warnings. And in any case, Caster and his Master need to be dealt with, regardless."

Sakura nodded. "So," Rider asked. "What did you have in mind? Do you want to go back to last night's battlefield, and try and see if Caster and Master are still there…somewhere?"

"Criminals always return to the scene of the crime," Sakura said softly. "And from their perspective, we're criminals. They might be setting a trap for us, in case we come back. If so, then it might be worth the trouble to set the trap off, just so we can power through afterwards and strike at Caster and their Master directly."

Rider nodded in assent. "A bold yet subtle tactic," he agreed. "It could work. But, from what I know of magi, they might also have relocated elsewhere, to continue whatever it is they're doing without further interference."

"There is that possibility." Sakura agreed. "However, I think in this scenario, we can safely disregard it."

"Oh?"

"If Caster's Master is a demonologist like me," Sakura pointed out. "Well, I'm not exactly your typical magus, am I now?"

"No, you are not." Waver said, and causing eyes to turn to him. "And that's a good argument. I say we go spring their trap, break out of it, and then hammer them flat."

Rider whistled. "Suddenly spirited, aren't we Waver?" he asked. "Why is that?"

"…I haven't forgotten what I saw last night." Waver answered softly. "I've cried for them. We've done what we could for them. But now, we have to avenge them, and give them justice. And besides…"

He paused, and glanced in Rin's direction. He smiled at her, and the little girl smiled back before Waver turned to face Sakura. "I made a promise to make the monsters behind last night pay." He said. "And I'll fulfil that promise, to say nothing of stopping them from setting more…abominations, like that shoggoth loose on the world."

Sakura and Rider nodded in understanding. "That sounds good." The former said. "Though, I have to ask."

"What?"

"I'm a demonologist like Caster and or their Master." Sakura said neutrally. "And even though you know that, you still like to be allies with me?"

"Interesting question," Rider said. "And not a bad one too. But, my answer would be questions of my own: would you, and have you done the same as they did to those children?"

"I could." Sakura said without hesitation.

"Just because you could doesn't mean you have or will." Waver preempted Rider. "Or have you?"

"Not to children," Sakura said. "But yes, I've made people beg for death. People who deserve nothing less than eternal damnation."

"Then I'm fine with being allies." Waver said with a shrug before smiling at Sakura. "No one's perfect after all. And it's not like we magi are the kind to talk about being on the white side of black and white. As long as you don't pull anything like what we saw last night, then I can't really condemn you for whatever, less objectionable things you do. And I think…I think I know just about enough of you, that if you say your enemies deserve to burn, then they do."

Sakura silently stared at Waver for several moments, the man staring back at her resolutely, and then nodded with a smile before turning to Rider. "And what about you?" she asked.

"Waver said all that needs be said." Rider said with a small smile. "I can't and won't pretend to be perfect either. I don't regret anything, but I won't pretend that I don't have plenty of blood and destruction on my hands."

Sakura nodded. "Alright," she said. "Now then, how do we do this?"

* * *

"Sakura Matou has sent a most interesting warning, has she not?"

"Indeed," Risei agreed with his son. "What do you think of it?"

"As they say," Kirei began. "At times the best tool to use against an adversary is itself. For a demonologist, Sakura Matou seems trustworthy enough. At the very least, she has not done any of what Caster and their Master have done. Or if she has, then she understands the value of discretion, as all magi should. Unlike Caster and their Master…therefore, I would think that Sakura Matou's skills as a demonologist can be put to good use against Caster and their Master."

"We might have to look further into the matter of her ability to be discreet." Risei said, but waved off a curious expression on Kirei's face. "It is a matter for later. Right now, we have more important things to attend to."

"As you say, father." Kirei said with a small bow. Risei nodded.

"Then we are in agreement." He said. "We'll take this warning from Sakura Matou, and proceed with all due haste. No matter what happens, do not allow Caster or their Master from completing whatever dark ritual or mystery they are seeking to unleash on this city."

"Assassin is already on the move." Kirei said. "Depending on your instructions, I will join them on the field immediately after our conversation."

"That is good." Risei said with a nod. "What of Tokiomi and Archer?"

"Master Tokiomi has sobered up." Kirei said. "Mistress Aoi however, remains sedated. Miss Rin's disappearance has struck her badly. Together with the previous blows inflicted from the matters relating to Sakura Matou…"

Risei sighed. "As uncharitable as it might seem," he said. "That whole situation is, when all is said and done, of their own making. That it is the way of things in magi society, and to put forward such a fact as an excuse for the actions which led to their current situation, is of little meaning. After all, consequences as they have developed are also expected, even normal, in magi society, are they not?"

"Certainly," Kirei said. "Master Tokiomi foresaw and indeed, intended for an outcome wherein Rin Tohsaka and Sakura Matou would come to see each other as rivals or even as enemies, culminating in a grand confrontation to determine who is superior to the other. Whether a victor emerges or it resulted in mutual annihilation was of no concern. The only thing that mattered was that the Tohsaka lineage, be it in name or blood, would be displayed in all its glory."

"The current situation is not much too different then." Risei said. "Sakura Matou by all indications, has nothing but hatred and resentment for her birth family…exactly as Tokiomi planned, if what you say is the truth."

"It is."

"Then what is the problem?"

Kirei briefly closed his eyes. "It seems then," he said. "That Master Tokiomi has simply not been able to…appreciate, the difference between the planned outcome and how it develops in reality."

"Put another way," Risei said. "What he felt for the planned outcome, is far from what he finds himself feeling at the reality."

"As you say,"

Risei sighed. "We'll help in what ways we can," he said. "Though, much would depend on Sakura Matou being willing to reconcile with her birth family. Sadly, there is little hope on that end."

"As you say,"

"In any case," Risei said after another sigh. "What was Tokiomi's response to Sakura Matou's warning?"

"He sent out additional familiars to find Caster and their Master." Kirei said. "However, he himself remains focused, along with a large number of familiars and much of his contacts across the city, on finding Miss Rin."

"Understandable," Risei said with a nod. "But this is rather…unusual, for Tokiomi. I would have expected him to prioritize his responsibilities as a Master and as a magus."

"I mentioned as such to him." Kirei said.

"And?"

Kirei briefly closed his eyes. "As we have just discussed," he said. "The matter of Sakura Matou has struck Master Tokiomi and Mistress Aoi very deeply. And now Miss Rin has vanished. In his own words, 'I have one daughter already. I will not lose another.' Such was his final decision on the matter."

"…while it is admirable in some ways that he's begun to appreciate the truly important things in life," Risei said after a long pause. "It could have come at a better time. And what of Archer?"

Kirei did not reply at once. "He was not pleased at the idea that he would have to go and deal with, and to quote, 'mongrels and their cheap tricks'. Instead, he said that if and when Caster and their Master complete whatever it is they are doing, then he would, in his own words, 'pass judgment' on their actions." He finally said.

Risei sighed. "The King of Heroes is certainly proving to be a most troublesome Servant." He said. "Very well, we will not push the matter, such would be most unwise after all."

"As you say,"

Risei nodded. "If there is nothing more," he said. "Then you may go and return to the hunt for Caster and their Master."

"Then I take my leave, father."

* * *

"There she is."

Night had fallen long before, what few stars could be seen through the unhealthy glow of the city percolating into the clouds overhead glittering distant and faint. Rider and Waver stood near the crater that had been left when they'd blown their way out of the undercity during the previous night, the ruins surrounded by wooden barricades and keep out signs erected by the city authorities.

"Yes, that's her." Rider said with a nod. "Good eyes."

"Thanks." Waver said, falling silent as Sakura ran over. "You got what we needed?"

"Yeah," she said with a nod. "Had to break into the city engineers' offices to get them but yeah, here are the plans for this section of the undercity, and that of the adjacent areas."

Rider and Waver nodded as Sakura handed the map over to Waver. "You sure you're up for this?" Waver asked. "I mean, I don't mean to say that you can't take care of yourself, but…"

"I'll be fine." Sakura interrupted but with a reassuring smile. "I've been in worse spots before."

That raised eyebrows, and after a few moments Rider laughed. "Sounds like a wild story." He said. "Care to share?"

"Another time, maybe."

"Fair enough."

"Alright," Waver said. "Just like we planned then, you flush them out, kill what you can, and leave the ones which come crawling out here up to us."

Sakura nodded. "Just as planned." She said, holding out a hand. Waver stared at it for a moment, and then took and shook it. "You watch yourself up here. You're a great guy, seriously. It wouldn't do for you to die here and now."

"Thanks." Waver said with a nod. "I will. And you take care of you down there. I…well, I…I'd like to see you again after this."

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Thanks," she said. "And don't worry, I don't plan on coming so far only to die here."

Letting go of Waver's hand, Sakura traded nods with Rider as she stepped past, and then jumped down into the crater. A moment later and she was gone, vanished into the depths of the undercity. Now all that was left was to wait, hope, watch and listen.

Rider stood in his chariot, reigns held firmly in his hands. Beside him, Waver had arranged the maps for easier access, grease pencils tucked into a breast pocket. The minutes ticked by uneasily, almost like caramel. As they passed, Waver noticed with more unease that it was so _quiet_.

There were the distant sounds of the city, of water flowing in the river nearby, but that was it. No insects, no rats, or strays…in short, no sounds of life anywhere at all nearby. It was…yes, that was it.

It was like the calm before the storm.

Almost as if on cue, the ground shook and heaved, and some distance away a massive plume of debris erupted into the air. "That's Sakura!" Waver said.

"Looks like it!" Rider responded.

In the distance, debris began to rain down as the dust cloud began to dissipate, but then the ground heaved again, and again, and again, every quake punctuated by plumes of dust and debris into the air. And then they heard it.

"Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!"

Rider's reigns cracked and divine bulls lowed moments before lightning flashed and crackled, thunder booming low and angry as Rider's chariot went underway. They quickly built up speed, roaring through the deserted streets of this section of the city, and then before them, oozing up a street perpendicular to their own with surprising speed, was a shoggoth. "Tekeli-li!" it cried in triumph, pulling its mass together and heaving itself up into the air, before beginning to fall forward, seeking to crush them beneath its weight. "Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!"

"ALALAI!" Rider roared out the ancient Greek war cry, lightning surrounding them bright and powerful.

A screech of pain, loud and inhuman filled the air, along with a foul, unspeakably horrific stench, taking all of Waver's self-control not to vomit or faint at the smell, but they were through. Behind them the shoggoth collapsed, writhing in pain, fully a third of its body vaporized by Rider's chariot.

And then, horrifyingly so, the two severed halves of the shoggoth _flowed_ back together, merging into one creature that cried out in anger and pain. "TEKELI-LI!" it cried. "TEKELI-LI!"

"One more time!" Rider shouted, turning in mid-air to circle round and landing hard on the ground and roar down the street towards the shoggoth. "ALALAI!"

There was a blinding flash of light, a quickly cut off screech of pain, and Rider was soaring into the air once more, leaving behind a smoking patch of foul, black ooze, and the ruins of buildings surrounding that section of the street.

"Look!" Waver shouted, pointing out over the edge of the chariot. "There's more!"

Indeed, there were more, Rider noticed, as he too looked around. At least five more shoggoths, no six as an explosion tore up a large chunk of the waterfront right next to the river. "Cutting it close, isn't she?" he asked.

As though in response, another large explosion erupted…from below the river. Rider and Waver gasped as water and debris plumed into the air, and water from the river began to spiral in, flowing into the ruptured undercity below.

"SAKURA!"

* * *

"Report!"

Kirei ran up to his Assassins, all of whom were standing tense and wary on top of a hill. The tall, lean female among them simply pointed to the distance, through a patch of blue, sinisterly glowing fog. There, _standing on the water_ _ **in the middle of the river**_ , was a man in extremely bulky medieval attire. In one hand he held a book, from which flowed…

…prana? No…but what else could it be? But if so…

Kirei blinked, and then narrowed his eyes at the water, which quickly turning black and bubbling almost like crude oil, as the energy poured into it. "Why haven't you attacked?" Kirei demanded.

"Two of us tried." The female Assassin replied. "They were dragged under the water by some kind of hell beast."

Abruptly, the flow of energy stopped…except they all felt something _give_. And for the first time in his life, a man who had felt absolutely nothing except despair, frustration, and nothingness at only being able to enjoy the suffering of others, felt _fear_.

Tentacles erupted from the water, wrapping themselves around Caster's body, his limbs, and themselves. In a matter of moments, only Caster's face was visible, and the Assassins began to back away, as the Servant of the Spell screamed in ecstasy, his eyes bulging and all but popping out of his face.

"NOW," he screamed, as the tentacles bent him back at an impossible degree, and a monstrously massive circle inscribed with symbols that Kirei could not recognize superimposed itself bank to bank across the river. "LET US ONCE MORE RAISE THE BANNER OF SALVATION!"

"We need to go, now!" the female Assassin barked, fear dripping from every syllable. The other Assassins turned and vanished, but she stayed, tugging at her Master's sleeve. "Master! We must withdraw! This is a fight we cannot win!"

Great revolving rings of horrid light that shone all and more the colors of the spectrum of visible light appeared and ascended up to the heavens, to a great circle that mirrored that on the river below. Waves of ghastly light flickered and exploded outward, staining the skies and clouds violet, lightning erupting to strike down.

"AWAKEN, OH GREAT SLUMBERING ONE!" a voice that was and was not Caster's spoke, echoing as though of countless multitudes but an instant behind the speaker. "I CALL UPON YOU! I GIVE OF MYSELF TO YOU! WE WHO STUMBLE BLINDLY UPON THIS EARTH, UNKNOWING OF TRUTH, ASK OF YOU! ENLIGHTEN US! BRING US BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL! LET US BE ONE WITH YOU! JOY AND DELIGHT FOR US ALL, FOR ALL ETERNITY!"

"MASTER!" Assassin shouted, and glancing once at her, Kirei glanced back and fled with his Servant, as the rings merged into one, a sphere of utter darkness that crackled with energy joining the circles above and below appearing in the middle. The sphere contracted…

…and then it exploded, a great thunderclap of displaced air erupting across the city as a being that and was not _became_.

And staring out over the city, listening to madness exploding across the globe and Gaia itself screaming in agony, a silver-haired schoolgirl began to laugh.

* * *

A/N

It seems that as much as Rin and Sakura are enjoying their time together, they seemed to have forgotten about something, haven't they?

Yeah, shit just got real, yes? I changed the aria for Prelati's Spell Book, since as mentioned in a previous chapter, 'the watcher' changed it for its own amusement.


End file.
